A group of dolphins has struck up an unlikely friendship with killer whales off the B.C. coast, footage from OceanWise released Monday shows.
Researchers from OceanWise captured the footage of Pacific white-sided dolphins interacting with resident killer whales last summer, and although theyB次元官网网址檙e not sure why, they have a few ideas.
Dolphins are prey for transient (mammal eating) killer whales, but they arenB次元官网网址檛 part of the food chain for the fish-eating resident killer whales, said Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, senior scientist and director of the Marine Mammal Research Program at the Coastal Ocean Research Institute.
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B次元官网网址淲hatB次元官网网址檚 in it for the dolphins? It could be safety, for one thing,B次元官网网址� said Barrett-Lennard.
B次元官网网址淎 white-sided dolphin travelling with resident killer whales isnB次元官网网址檛 going to be hunted by transients because the [different species of killer whales] avoid each other, so this dolphin doesnB次元官网网址檛 have a care in the world.B次元官网网址�
The dolphins could also be checking out predators, Barrett-Lennard said, to be better prepared to face them later on.
B次元官网网址淏y spending time around killer whales they are learning more about them, about their speed and agility in the water, so it could help them avoid predation by other killer whales in the future,B次元官网网址� he said.
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