Killer whale OCX043 experienced with three other whales 175km west of Bandon, Oregon, on September 9, 2021 (Encounter 9). Credit: Robert L. Pitman, Oregon State University.University of British Columbia researchers believe a group of killer whales observed hunting marine mammals consisting of sperm whales, as well as a sea turtle, in the open ocean off California and Oregon might be a brand-new population.Based on readily available evidence, the researchers presume in a brand-new research study released in Aquatic Mammals that the 49 orcas could belong to a subpopulation of short-term killer whales or an unique oceanic population found in waters off the coast of California and Oregon. Spotting the brand-new population has actually ended up being something of a hobby amongst anglers, some of whom have actually bought cams for their trips particularly to snap an encounter, the researchers said.The scientists hope to document more sightings and gather more details, consisting of acoustic data about the whale calls and genetic information from DNA samples to more examine how these killer whales might vary, or not, from already recorded populations.Reference: “Evidence for an Oceanic Population of Killer Whales (Orcinus whale) in Offshore Waters of California and Oregon” by Josh D. McInnes, Andrew W. Trites, Chelsea R. Mathieson, Marilyn E. Dahlheim, Jeffrey E. Moore, Paula A. Olson and Kevin M. Lester, Aquatic Mammals.DOI: 10.1578/ AM.50.2.2024.93.
Killer whale OCX043 come across with three other whales 175km west of Bandon, Oregon, on September 9, 2021 (Encounter 9). Credit: Robert L. Pitman, Oregon State University.University of British Columbia researchers think a group of killer whales observed hunting marine mammals including sperm whales, as well as a sea turtle, in the open ocean off California and Oregon might be a brand-new population.Based on readily available proof, the researchers presume in a brand-new research study released in Aquatic Mammals that the 49 whales could belong to a subpopulation of transient killer whales or a special oceanic population discovered in waters off the coast of California and Oregon. Identifying the new population has actually become something of a pastime amongst fishermen, some of whom have actually purchased cams for their journeys specifically to snap an encounter, the researchers said.The researchers hope to record more sightings and gather more details, including acoustic information about the orcas calls and genetic info from DNA samples to further investigate how these killer whales might differ, or not, from currently recorded populations.Reference: “Evidence for an Oceanic Population of Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in Offshore Waters of California and Oregon” by Josh D. McInnes, Andrew W. Trites, Chelsea R. Mathieson, Marilyn E. Dahlheim, Jeffrey E. Moore, Paula A. Olson and Kevin M. Lester, Aquatic Mammals.DOI: 10.1578/ AM.50.2.2024.93.