An enormous pod of orcas has been filmed surrounding a fishing trawler at night in search of a free meal.
The video, posted to TikTok on October 20 by the handle rakebass7, shows a huge group of orcas, also known as killer whales, appearing at the surface of the sea around the large fishing boat.
The video has been viewed 3.4 million times on TikTok and was reposted to Reddit where it received 8.2k upvotes.
"There's something a little creepy about this. I think it's because, if they wanted to, those orcas could seriously f*** s*** up. Beautiful animals. A bit scary though!" one Reddit user commented.
Another said: "I'd be frightened out of my mind. Never seen so many in one place."
It is not clear where the video was taken, but dozens of small fish can be seen swimming in the water around the boat.
And this is probably why the orcas gathered there, David Lusseau, professor of marine sustainability at the Technical University of Denmark, told Newsweek.
"What an awesome sight this video is! So it looks like the killer whales are feeding on fish escaping and discarded during the hauling process on the boat," Lusseau said. "What an awesome experience it must have been to see this many killer whales in one place."
Although it is not certain where the video was taken, Lusseau said the fish in the water could be herring. In which case, the video was probably filmed off Norway.
There are an estimated 3,000 orcas living in the Norwegian and Barents Seas. They are most commonly seen in Norwegian waters from November to January.
It is not the first time orcas have been observed displaying this behavior.
"This is a widespread phenomenon across fisheries and dolphin species: essentially there is an easy meal and the killer whales are taking advantage of it," Lusseau said. "In some instances this can become problematic when, for example, animals try to get fish that are either in nets when the net is fishing or on hooks.
"Dolphins can get hurt or caught by accident, and of course fishing gear can be damaged or destroyed; without talking about the loss of fish for the fishers."
Orcas are highly intelligent animals. They travel in pods and rarely leave each other's side. Scientists have observed orcas adopting certain behaviors that appear unique to their pod.
It has been known that orcas sometimes take advantage of fishing hooks to nab an easy meal since the mid-1990s. But a recent study from Australia's Deakin University discovered how quickly this behavior can be learned and spread throughout orca populations.
"Orcas often associate with fishing boats and take fish out of the nets as they are being hauled," Peter Evans, director of cetacean conservation organization Sea Watch Foundation told Newsweek.
"During autumn and winter, some of the key areas where this occurs include the northern North Sea, northwest and northeast of Shetland, and west of Norway, right up to the Arctic (off the Lofoten Islands)," Evans said. "Sometimes, pods of orcas can number more than 100 animals, attracted by the protein-rich fish resources."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
