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Article: TALES OF TWO ORCAS - The more scientists learn about killer whales, the more differences they find between resident pods and transient travelers.
- Article from:
- National Wildlife
- Article date:
- December 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 National Wildlife Federation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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ONE OF THE MANY THINGS killer whales do well is turn on a dime in tight quarters. Eva Saulitis, a marine biologist with the nonprofit North Gulf Oceanic Society in Alaska, has often followed the animals as they hunt for harbor seals in the rocky inlets of Prince William Sound. The predators are typically longer than the 20-foot skiff she uses and many tons heavier. "But we find them in the most unexpected places, like tiny coves where it's too narrow to anchor," she says. "We hit rocks trying to follow them."
Like other dolphins, killer whales can make clicking sounds to locate underwater objects using their own sonar, but those that hunt seals are mostly silent ...