Tooth marks on an adult orca may spell minor conflict
July 16th, 2009 by cdunaganWhale watchers in the San Juan Islands have been reporting a killer whale with unusual wounds on his dorsal fin. News of the injury spread quickly among whale watchers the past few days. But experienced observers recognize the marks as “tooth rakes.”
Beyond play, we may never know why
one orca bites another (click to enlarge).
Photo by Dave Ellifrit, Center for Whale
Research
Tooth rakes are what you may see when one marine mammal bites another. Young orcas often leave marks on each other while playing, noted Ken Balcomb, director of the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island.
In this case, rather large tooth rakes were seen on an adult male — namely L-78, a 20-year-old whale named Gaia.
“Another whale bit him,” Ken told me. “Oddly enough, we think it was his mom.”
Gaia frequently travels with his mother, L-2 or “Grace,” and his brother, L-88 or “Wave Walker.” Researchers have photos of the whales before the marks were made as well as after — and during that time no other whales approached.
“Somebody was pissed,” Ken said. “It could have been over food or something else.”
Of course, the brother could have done it. We’ll never know. But Ken was willing to speculate. We know that mothers share food with their young. This may go on for years until their offspring learn to fend for themselves. Even then, studies have shown that orcas often share food with each other as part of their social interaction.
But by the time a male orca is 20, he probably should quit mooching off his mom.
“Maybe she was saying, ‘Go get a job,’” Ken said, joking.
The bites probably won’t cause any permanent damage, he said. “We’ll be able to watch the healing process.”
Tags: killer whales, orcas, tooth rakes
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
July 18th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Or maybe the heavy metals,
excess hormones and other prescription drug waste and the apparent general lack of food is playing havok with the sensibilities and behaviors of resident Orcas.
July 18th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Since we know excess hormones and drugs play havoc on human behavior, it is not far fetched to extend that same unusual and strange behavior to the sea creatures forced to live in the toxic environment we provide for them.
We not only get back what we give, we force those depending on us to live in a toxic world….they have no choice.
Thank you davygoliah … your ideas make sense.
Sharon O’Hara