For the first time since records began, a pod of orcas has arrived on the coasts of northern Chile. There, marine biologists have taken advantage of t

Previously unknown population of killer whales corner sea lions and hunt dolphins in northern Chile

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2024-10-03 00:30:07

For the first time since records began, a pod of orcas has arrived on the coasts of northern Chile. There, marine biologists have taken advantage of this unique opportunity to study a hitherto unknown population of this elusive species, which still contains many mysteries for science. The orca is the super-apex predator of the seas, above even the great white shark in the food chain, but little is known about the hunting habits and techniques of many of its populations, which tend to live far from the coasts.

In 2018, a group of anchovy fishermen in the Chilean bay of Mejillones saw a pod of orcas up close for the first time. Hundreds of sea lions were entering and exiting their nets, attracted by the fish typical of the area. It was then that the fishermen witnessed these great ocean predators arrive — led by a female, later named Dakota by scientists — who took advantage to approach the boats and corner the sea lions to feed on them. The photos and videos of the sightings, uploaded to Facebook, later served for researcher Ana María García Cegarra and her team to begin investigating.

García Cegarra, a marine biologist at the University of Antofagasta, feels that “it is a dream come true to study these cetaceans in the wild. It is not common to see orcas so close to the shore,” she notes, as the animals can travel thousands of miles in the open sea in search of food. García Cegarra led a study, published Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, which combines her own surveys and testimonies from the local population.