COMMUNITY Orcas are big dolphins, but The Culture of ancient sailors named them killer whales. KillerWith enduring family relations, unique dialectsWhales and diets, and huge celebrations for special life events, the orca has evolved through culture, passing tradition from one generation to the next. By Lori Marino, PhD ennie travels about stay by her side for the rest of his 75 miles a day with her life. Her daughter and sister will infant son, her mother, help her in raising her little one her teenage daughter, through a long childhood. And she a grown son, sister and will depend upon the experience, Jher 80-year-old grandmother accumulated knowledge and in search of food and to explore, wisdom of her grandmother—the play and socialize. Because of the matriarch—to make the right strong cultural traditions she was decisions when life becomes hard. born into, she eats a very specific Jennie sounds like a person with diet, communicates in a dialect an extended family group whose unique to her group and socializes members each have a valued mainly within her family. Her daily role in a society driven by long- activities reflect ancient cultural standing cultural traditions shaped traditions passed down from one over generations. This could be generation to the next. Her infant a description of you or me. But son, just like her adult son, will Jennie just happens to be a person Orcas are especially prevalent in the waters off the Pacific Northwest and Norway’s northern coast. 62 ANIMAL MINDS 63 COMMUNITY from another species—the orca, better known as killer whales. Cetaceans DID YOU KNOW? The standard (the mammalian dolphin, above, order in which is quite small next to the orca. orcas belong) Both are speed evolved from a demons, with dolphins clocking land-dwelling 33 miles an hour animal about 50 versus 31 miles million years ago; per hour for the orca. Dolphins fossils show they live for 40 to 50 gradually adapted years compared to orcas living 70 to a fully aquatic to 80 years. lifestyle over 10 to 15 million years. Orcas are actually the largest species of dolphin, a member of the cetacean family Delphinidae within the cetacean suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales). They can grow to 25 feet long and weigh 4 to 6 tons. After a gestation period of 18 months, an infant is born who will take more than 15 years to mature to reproductive age. They are, in their natural habitat, very long-lived, with females sometimes reaching the age of 80 to 90 years or more and males 60 to 70 years of age. Jennie, a composite female I’ve created based on the dozens of killer whales studied over the years, lives in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, in a highly complex hierarchical society consisting of different levels of associations and relations— all based on learned cultural traditions. Her community (known as the “southern resident killer Orcas of Puget Sound are besieged whales,” or SRKW to scientists) is actually a large extended family, by the constant roar of industrial noise known as a clan, comprising three disrupting echolocation and navigation. pods named J (with 22 orcas), K (17 orcas) and the largest pod, L (34 orcas). Each pod, in turn, is composed of several “matrilines,” subgroups led by older female matriarchs. Individuals within a matriline, like Jennie, her mother, Young orca females can grandmother, sister, daughter and help out by baby-sitting for the pod before making sons are connected by maternal families of their own. 64 ANIMAL MINDS 65 COMMUNITY descent. Jennie stays mainly within Other orca cultures around the her matrilineal group but, at times, world possess their own dietary she socializes with other pods. specializations. One community off the coast of New Zealand Orcas can hold specializes in manta and stingrays, their breath A TRAUMATIZING PAST having learned techniques to grab underwater There are 72 members of the SRKW their prey without being stung for up to population living free today, with by their tails. 15 minutes. one in captivity (see sidebar). The clan members have a disturbing history because, from 1965 to 1975, SONG OF THE ORCA they were routinely culled from Individual orcas express their Penn Cove, Washington, and taken J35, a female member of J pod, is seen on identity through cultural habits, the 17th and final day that she carried her for use at exhibits at marine parks. deceased calf in the summer of 2018. including dialects—sets of calls Over those years, a third of them learned from parents. Each pod uses were captured or killed, leaving the menopause. When female orcas a distinctive dialect to communicate group decimated as they currently pass through middle age they stop its social identity. And some aspects deal with challenges like low reproducing to concentrate more of dialects are shared across pods. levels of their favorite prey, toxic on helping their children and their The more related the pods, the more contaminants in the waters, and grandchildren. This is called the similar the dialects. In short, the excess vessel traffic and noise. They “grandmother effect” and, thus similarities and differences among remain endangered to this day. far, it appears only in orcas, beluga dialects are a kind of “sound map” Fortunately, most other orca clans whales, short-finned pilot whales, of interpod relationships. are doing better than the SRKW narwhals, sperm whales and, of The sound repertoire of orcas and, when left alone in the wild, course, humans. is as complex as their social manage to thrive. Even amidst their challenges, about once a year, all three SRKW Cultural differences among separate pods come together in one location into what’s known as a superpod. orca communities stop members who The occasion varies. Typically it meet up from mingling and mating. looks like a greeting ceremony or a pure celebration of life as the three pods mingle and socialize and play. SRKW usually spend their relationships. They make different At other times it may more closely summer in the waters around kinds of sounds—clicks, whistles, resemble a grief ritual after the loss Washington state and southwest pulsed calls—used in various ways of one of their own. (In 2018, shortly British Columbia. In the winter, and in various contexts. Like other after a young orca from J pod went they expand their range to find dolphins, orcas navigate through missing after a long illness and more food because these whales echolocation (sonar), producing was presumed dead, all three pods are gastronomic specialists of the high-frequency clicks underwater came together in what some have highest order, with chinook salmon and processing the echoes that interpreted as a group display of making up 80 percent of their bounce off objects at frequencies togetherness after the loss.) all-fish diet. This highly specified from 0.2 to 150 kHz, an order of Jennie’s relationship with her diet is a cultural tradition, too. And magnitude faster than human grandmother is vitally important despite the fact that there are other sound processing. Whistles and to her survival because, as the kinds of salmon, other fish and pulsed sounds are combined with matriarch, her grandmother mammals available, these whales echolocation to create a highly holds the accumulated cultural are so culturally conservative complex acoustic landscape that knowledge of many generations that, even when chinook salmon only orcas fully understand. and now, as a female orca “of a are scarce, they will not switch to Like their diet, the dialect of the certain age,” is entirely devoted a more abundant prey. It is as if SRKW community is unique from to helping other members of her these orcas see themselves as “the other orcas. The cultural differences family navigate life successfully. chinook salmon eaters” and their help them maintain genetic A pod of orcas make You see, orcas are one of the very cultural identity depends upon their way through distinctiveness as they choose to their ocean home. few mammals who experience maintaining this dietary habit. mate only within their group. 66 ANIMAL MINDS 67 COMMUNITY Different orca groups across the globe, called ecotypes, express different behaviors throughout Born to Be Free a wide range of open ocean and The big brains, wanderlust, close bonding and cultural customs of orcas point to coastal habitats. Each population one conclusion: They cannot flourish in concrete tanks in marine parks. represents a different culture with a distinct dialect, prey Whether performing or Although there have length with two captive period for learning specialization and hunting not and whether born in been hundreds of Pacific white-sided skills to survive in the captivity or captured from cases of captive orcas dolphins. Her previous open ocean. strategy (many hunt cooperatively the wild, orcas in display attacking their trainers, orca companion, Hugo, But there is an like wolves). tanks are deprived of there has never been died of a brain aneurysm alternative that is part Each community of these big- everything they need— a single incident of in 1980 after repeatedly of a growing movement brained, intelligent, emotional space, an interesting a free-ranging orca slamming his head across the world— and socially complex mammals environment, challenges, seriously harming, let against the tank walls. sanctuaries. There are is unique. Each pod has its continuity in their family alone killing, a human or Kiska at Marineland successful sanctuaries own social structure, and each and social life, as well another orca. This tragedy Canada has lived alone for elephants, big cats, as choice about how to underscores the abnormal since 2011, having lost all bears, great apes and individual orca is irreplaceable.