Killer Whale Social Structure

Killer Whale Social Structure

The research done regarding killer whales indicates that they are very social with their peers. They are known to form what it called Matrillineality and this allows the lineage of them to be traced through the females. As a result of this they tend to have very strong genetics and that helps to stabilize their numbers.

Research also shows that the diet of a Killer Whale significantly impacts how it will socialize. The bonds of a resident Killer Whale are very strong, and this is due to the fact that offspring will live with their mother’s from birth until death. The females are therefore in charge of what goes in within a given pod. What is exciting is you can view several generations of Killer Whales together in the water due to the long life spans they have.

Some killer whales are resident which means that they stay in the same areas with the same pod. Others are transient so they move around all the time without any real permanent location. Killer Whales travel in their pods as well as hunt for food and rest together. They do take part in plenty of different socialization activities within their pod that is fun to observe.

Mothers of Killer Whales tend to the needs of their offspring, but also discipline them. They are very insistent on their young learning certain things. Such learning can start as soon as the offspring is about two days old. The more they can learn the better chance they have of surviving to adulthood. They may discipline the young by not allowing them to move or by scratching them.

While they size of the pods will vary, the females and the young are on the inside. They are protected by older males along the front, rear, and sides of it. They structure will depend on how many Killer Whales happen to be in a given pod. For the most part though they don’t have to worry about predators in the water bothering them. Generally the pods will be about 30 so it is easy enough to see the social structure. However, when they are very large with numbers up to 500 it is more difficult to determine them.

Not everyone gets along well in the Killer Whale social structure. Males are often in battle with each other during the mating season. They don’t mate within their own pods. This is why you will find so many males with battle scars due to fighting for the right to mate. The older males many have a body that looks worn and tattered due to these many battles over the years.

Many categorize the Killer Whales of the colder regions as curious. They can often be seen with their bodies in the water but their heads out, looking high into the sky. This is referred to as spy hopping. Many researchers believe each pod has a few whales that take on this task. They are looking to estimate how far they are from the shore.

They are known to work in teams too when it comes to finding food. For example, they can gather around small seals on the ice. Then one will tip the ice back and forth so that the seal is sliding towards the powerful mouth of another in the pod. They will trade off and do this so that all members of their pod can get food. The overall social structures of Killer Whales are highly advanced. They continue to fascinate us as we watch them as well as researchers that document their movements and behaviors.