Killer Whales Find an ‘Unlikely Friend’ in Dolphins

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Alexa Robles-GilDecember 11, 2025 at 05:47 PM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

A recent study published in Scientific Reports documents cooperative hunting behavior between resident killer whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins off the coast of British Columbia. Researchers observed that the orcas follow the dolphins to locate Chinook salmon, suggesting the dolphins lead them to prey. This is the first documented instance of cooperative foraging between these species, indicating the dolphins are not simply stealing food. The study utilized drone footage and camera/acoustic tags on orcas to analyze the interactions. Scientists believe this alliance benefits both species, providing orcas with access to salmon and allowing dolphins to share in the hunt.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Hakai Institute 50% Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research 50% Dalhousie University ×260% Pacific white-sided dolphins ×470% British Columbia ×280%

Keywords

dolphins 100% killer whales 100% cooperative hunting 90% pacific white-sided dolphins 80% foraging 70% chinook salmon 70% british columbia 60% marine ecology 50% scientific reports 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Positive

Score: 0.40

Source Transparency

Source

New York Times - World

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

British Columbia

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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dolphins killer whales cooperative hunting pacific white-sided dolphins foraging chinook salmon british columbia marine ecology scientific reports

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