Video-documentation of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) predatory attack on a giant manta (Manta birostris) in the Galápagos Islands

Alava, Juan José; Merlen, Godfrey

doi:10.5597/lajam00139

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 5 publications

(7 reference statements)

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“…), sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), sunfish (Mola sp. ), finfish, and marine mammals other than humpbacks (de Roy, 1993;Brennan & Rodriquez, 1994;Merlen, 1999;Sorisio et al, 2006;Alava & Merlen, 2009;Alava et al, 2013). One of us (JD) saw Phantom preying on sea turtles while being part of a pod of five killer whales, including a juvenile, at the Galápagos Islands.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sightings of an Adult Male Killer Whale Match Humpback Whale Breeding Seasons in Both Hemispheres in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

Pacheco

Castro

Carnero-Huamán

et al. 2019

Aquatint's Mammon's

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sightings of an Adult Male Killer Whale Match Humpback Whale Breeding Seasons in Both Hemispheres in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

Pacheco

Castro

Carnero-Huamán

et al. 2019

Aquatint's Mammon's

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“…In lower latitudes, however, and perhaps due to a lack of abundance or predictability of any specific prey types, killer whales appear to be more opportunistic, and catholic, in their diets although those communities are relatively less‐well studied (Baird et al . , Alava and Merlen ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 93%

Whale killers: Prevalence and ecological implications of killer whale predation on humpback whale calves off Western Australia

Pitman

Totterdell²,

Fearnbach

et al. 2014

Marine Mammal Science

109

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Reports of killer whales (Orcinus orca) preying on large whales have been relatively rare, and the ecological significance of these attacks is controversial. Here we report on numerous observations of killer whales preying on neonate humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) off Western Australia (WA) based on reports we compiled and our own observations. Attacking killer whales included at least 19 individuals from three stable social groupings in a highly connected local population; 22 separate attacks with known outcomes resulted in at least 14 (64%) kills of humpback calves. We satellite-tagged an adult female killer whale and followed her group on the water for 20.3 h over six separate days. During that time, they attacked eight humpback calves, and from the seven known outcomes, at least three calves (43%) were killed. Overall, our observations suggest that humpback calves are a predictable, plentiful, and readily taken prey source for killer whales and scavenging sharks off WA for at least 5 mo/yr. Humpback "escorts" vigorously assisted mothers in protecting their calves from attacking killer whales (and a white shark, Carcharodon carcharias). This expands the purported role of escorts in humpback whale social interactions, although it is not clear how this behavior is adaptive for the escorts.

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“…Due to their large size, only large predatory sharks (e.g., tiger Galeocerdo cuvier and bull Carcharhinus leucas) and some cetaceans (e.g., false killer whales Pseudorca crassidens and orca Orcinus orca) are known to predate on adult manta rays (Gannier, 2002;Visser and Bonoccorso, 2003;Alava and Merlen, 2009;Marshall and Bennett, 2010;Stevens et al, 2018a). Unsuccessful predation attempts can leave permanent injuries (Marshall and Bennett, 2010;Stevens et al, 2018a) ranging from small quickhealing flesh wounds, with little or no tissue loss, to severe bites which truncate or disfigure pectoral fins (Marshall and Bennett, 2010;Stevens et al, 2018a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sublethal Injuries and Physical Abnormalities in Maldives Manta Rays, Mobula alfredi and Mobula birostris

et al. 2022

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Manta ray populations worldwide are vulnerable to sublethal injuries resulting from human activities, e.g., entanglement in fishing line and boat strikes, which have the potential to impact an individual’s health, fitness, and behaviour. Sublethal injuries and physical abnormalities also occur naturally from predation events, deformity, parasites, and disease. To determine the type and frequency of anthropogenic and natural originated injury events affecting Mobula alfredi and M. birostris in the Maldives, we examined data from the Manta Trust’s Maldivian Manta Ray Project (MMRP) database, which contains 73,638 photo-identification (photo-ID) sightings of the two manta ray species from 1987 to 2019. The likely origin of each injury or physical abnormality was determined based on visual assessment of the photo-ID images. Multiple injuries to an individual originating from the same event were grouped for analysis. Generalised linear mixed models (GLMM) were used to investigate the relationship between the occurrence of injury events and the explanatory variables sex and maturity status for both species, with the additional variable site function (cleaning, feeding, cruising) investigated for M. alfredi. Spatial and temporal variations in M. alfredi injury events, and their origin and type, were investigated by calculating the percentage of injury events per sighted individual at each Maldivian atoll, and per re-sighted individual in each year from 2005 to 2019. For both species, injury events were predominantly of natural origin, with predatory bites being the most frequent type. The most common anthropogenic injury type was entanglement in fishing line. Injuries to M. alfredi were significantly more likely to be observed on juveniles than adults, males than females, and at cleaning stations as opposed to feeding or cruising sites. Neither sex nor maturity status were significant explanatory variables for the occurrence of injuries to M. birostris. Highest percentages of anthropogenic injuries per sighted M. alfredi were recorded in North Malé, South Malé, Baa, Addu, and Laamu Atolls, where boat traffic, fishing, and tourism activities are concentrated. Overall, this work greatly improves understanding of the sublethal threats faced by manta rays in the Maldives; identifying focus areas where conservation management actions are required to ensure more effective protection of this threatened species group.

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Video-documentation of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) predatory attack on a giant manta (Manta birostris) in the Galápagos Islands

Cited by 8 publications

References 5 publications

Sightings of an Adult Male Killer Whale Match Humpback Whale Breeding Seasons in Both Hemispheres in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

Sightings of an Adult Male Killer Whale Match Humpback Whale Breeding Seasons in Both Hemispheres in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

Whale killers: Prevalence and ecological implications of killer whale predation on humpback whale calves off Western Australia

Sublethal Injuries and Physical Abnormalities in Maldives Manta Rays, Mobula alfredi and Mobula birostris

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