Four surprising facts that show the great intelligence of killer whales

In and around the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Spain from Morocco, killer whales or orcas show strange and aggressive behavior. As of July 2020, humans have recorded hundreds of cases where these giant marine mammals (scientifically known as Orcinus orca) hit the boats and broke pieces of the boats before continuing on their way.

written by ScienceAlertMost of the boats are sailboats and the rudders are mostly damaged. In a bizarre example, a group of orcas followed a yacht to port after breaking its rudder.

This behavior is strange. In the past, there have been no recorded fatal attacks by orcas on humans in the wild. In fact, orca attacks on humans have been very rare; Of course, it may still be the case, and perhaps the source of orcas’ amusement or anger is the boats, not the sailors.

When you ask people to name an intelligent animal, many of them immediately think of chimpanzees or bottlenose dolphins; But orcas may be smarter than these animals.

Animals communicate in different ways; But in the cold depths of the ocean, sound is one of the vital tools in the divers’ communication toolbox.

The speed of sound in water is much higher than in air and it can travel a longer distance. Orcas are found in waters around the world, and groups in each region have developed their own dialects.

Scientists studying the different sounds that different groups of killer whales use to communicate have found regional differences between them.

These differences can be attributed to heredity; Because the mother transmits her way of speaking to her children. However, research has shown that common dialect is not a reliable predictor of genetic relatedness. Instead, it appears to be partly a product of regional culture.

Killer whales can learn from each other. In the summer of 1987, the behavior became briefly fashionable after a female orca in the Puget Sound region began carrying dead salmon on her head.

A few weeks later, the orcas did the same thing in two other groups. They continued to wear salmon caps for five or six weeks. Then they stopped doing it, and in the next summer only a few examples of this behavior appeared.

The social learning of orcas also plays a more serious role in their lives. Apart from regional dialects, there are also best hunting tricks and tips that differ from region to region; Because orcas hunt different prey in each area.

Orcas hunt sharks off the coast of South Africa and carefully tear apart their bodies to extract their tasty and nutritious livers, rich in oil.