[imagesource:flickr]

A female Orca has been seen caring for a baby Pilot Whale in one of the first cases of its kind ever recorded. Scientists have been studying the pair since they were first spotted close to western Iceland in 2021. They have now released a study into this phenomenon, but it is still unclear whether this is a case of adoption or abduction.

“There’s a decent chance that she actually abducted this calf from a group of pilot whales. Off Iceland, there’s been quite the interaction between both species, and oftentimes pilot whales are seen chasing the killer whales.”

Elizabeth Zwamborn, an academic on the research team, told reporters that there are clear signs that the Orca was caring for the long-finned pilot whale calf and that their swimming patterns resemble a mother-child formation.

“The orca was swimming with the pilot whale calf in the echelon position, which means the calf was swimming right behind the pectoral fin of the orca.”

“The echelon position allows a calf to make fewer tail fluke movements than when swimming on its own and overcome physical limitations during high-speed travel — in other words, the calf is ‘carried’ by the pressure wave created by the adult’s larger body.”

The study noted that the Orca, named Sædís, has never had a baby of her own, so the possibility of abduction of the whale calf as a substitute for her own empty nest cannot be ruled out. It appears as if the pilot whale is not very well fed, which would make sense if the orca never birthed herself, and therefore not able to nurse the baby whale.

About a year after the study began, Sædís was spotted among a group of long-finned pilot whales, but without the calve present. Interactions between the orca and the whale pod indicated a deliberate attempt to acquire a new calf.

Have a look at the video below to decide whether this is a sweet adoption story or a case of kidnapping.

Scientists continue to study Sædís and hope to better explain her strange behaviour toward the whales. For now, it would however seem like the lonely killer whale is desperate to have a baby of her own, even if it is from another species.

[source:businessinsider]