Orca Life and Hunting Skills
In Orca Life and Hunting Skills, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the world of orcas, the largest and most powerful members of the dolphin family. Follow this pod of nine, including a mother and her calf, as they navigate a narrow channel to hunt elephant seals. Using careful timing and strategy, the mother secures a meal, highlighting the intelligence and skill of these apex predators. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
Lesson Express
Q: Why do you think the orca mother chooses to hunt in the narrow channel during high tide, and what challenges does this pose for her and her calf?
A: The mother orca hunts during high tide because it allows her to enter and exit the narrow channel safely. This strategy is risky because if the tide recedes, she and her calf could get trapped, making them vulnerable to other dangers.
Q: What does the relationship between the mother orca and her calf teach us about how animals learn survival skills?
A: The calf learns by observing the mother’s hunting techniques and behavior. This demonstrates that survival skills in orcas are often passed down through experience and teaching within the pod, much like how humans learn from parents or mentors.
Q: What role do orcas play in the marine ecosystem, and how might their hunting behavior impact other species in the area?
A: Orcas are apex predators, meaning they help maintain balance in the ecosystem by controlling prey populations like seals. Their hunting can indirectly influence the behavior and distribution of other marine animals, ensuring that no single species dominates the environment.
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