Breach
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Spyhop
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Blow
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| The whale leaps out of the water, exposing 2/3 or more of its body. Re-entry can be a spectacular belly-flop or slide-flop. Breaching may occur during play, or possibly when the animal is disturbed. |
The whale raises its head out of the water, then slips back below the surface. Spyhopping occurs more often after the group has been resting, or during socializing. |
The mist of the water droplets produced above the whale's head during exhalation. Resident killer whales typically breathe 3-4 times then dive for 3-4 minutes. In contrast, transient dive times tend to last 5-10 minutes. |
Tailslap
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Pectoral Slap
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Foraging
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| Forceful slapping of the tail fluke on the water surface can sound like a gunshot. Slapping can also be playful. As with spyhops and breaches, tail slaps may occur during socializing, after resting or when whales are disturbed. |
Killer whales may lay on their sides at the surface during resting or socializing and slap their pectoral flippers on the water. Like tail slaps, the pec slap may be forceful or playful, depending on the mood and individual involved. |
Killer whales often feed cooperatively. Residents often forage in small groups of 1-3 individuals separated by several kilometers, vocalizing frequently. Transients also hunt in small groups, but may congregate for larger prey. Transients hunt in silence, vocalizing only when they have made a kill. |
Travelling
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Resting
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Beach Rubbing
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| When not foraging, killer whales typically travel in close proximity to each other. Killer whales generally cruise at speeds of 2-4 knots, but can attain speeds of 15 knots or more. |
Resting killer whales assemble in a tight group or line, with proximity to other individuals indicating relationship. For example, a mother and her new calf will rest in physical contact, the next eldest less close, and so on. The breathing sequence also follows a stereotypical pattern in the group. While resting, orcas are more susceptible to disturbance than at other times. |
Most evidence points to beach rubbing being a social or "recreational" behaviour, although it may also be a way of removing external parasites. Beach rubbing takes place only among northern resident whales and is most common at a series of small beaches within the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve in Johnstone Strait. The whales may visit these beaches several times in a 24-hour period, where they rub their bodies on the small, smooth pebbles for up to an hour or more.
WATCH BEACH RUBBING VIDEO
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Killer Whales are intelligent predators with no natural enemies except humans. They exhibit a wide variety of behaviours, most of which we can only guess the meaning of. The following is a key of individual and group behaviours to look for when whale watching.