The diving behaviour of mammal-eating killer whales (Orcinus orca): variations with ecological not physiological factors

Miller, Patrick J.O., Shapiro, Ari Daniel and Deecke, Volker B. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2781-5915 (2010) The diving behaviour of mammal-eating killer whales (Orcinus orca): variations with ecological not physiological factors. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 88 (11). pp. 1103-1112.

Preview

PDF - Accepted Version Available under License CC BY-NC Download (915kB) | Preview

Abstract

Mammal-eating killer whales (Orcinus orca (L., 1758)) are a rare example of social predators that hunt together in groups of sexually dimorphic adults and juveniles with diverse physiological diving capacities. Day–night ecological differences should also affect diving as their prey show diel variation in activity and mammal-eating killer whales do not rely on echolocation for prey detection. Our objective was to explore the extent to which physiological aerobic capacities versus ecological factors shape the diving behaviour of this breath-hold diver. We used suction-cup-attached depth recorders (Dtags) to record 7608 dives of 11 animals in southeast Alaska. Analysis of dive sequences revealed a strong bout structure in both dive depth and duration. Day–night comparisons revealed reduced rates of deep dives, longer shallow dives, and shallower long-duration dives at night. In contrast, dive variables did not differ by age–sex class. Estimates of the aerobic dive limit (cADL) suggest that juveniles exceeded their cADL during as much as 15% of long dives, whereas adult males and females never exceeded their cADL. Mammal-eating killer whales in this area appear to employ a strategy of physiological compromise, with smaller group members diving nearer their physiological limits and large-bodied males scaling down their physiological performance.

Item Type:	Article
Journal / Publication Title:	Canadian Journal of Zoology
Publisher:	NRC Research Press (Canadian Science Publishing) / Canadian Society of Zoologists
ISSN:	1480-3283
Departments:	Research Centres > Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas (CNPPA)
Additional Information:	Canadian Journal of Zoology: AAM ok on IR - no embargo.
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	28 Jan 2016 10:37
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2024 09:45
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/1976

Downloads