Old Tom the orca and his family of unknown killer whale lineage that once hunted with indigenous Australian whalers may already be extinct. This is according to DNA analysis in a new study revealed earlier in October, where researchers explored the bizarre cooperation between native coastal Thaua people and orcas when hunting whales in the waters of Eden, New South Wales, Australia.
Almost a century after the death of Old Tom in 1930, researchers involved in the new study utilized the progress made by scientists in the field of genetics and DNA analysis to determine the mystery behind Old Tom and the orca family that he belonged to. The said study focused on this biological aspect since the whaling cooperation involving native Australians and the "killers of Eden" was never seen again in modern times.
Mysterious Orca Family
In the study published in the Journal of Heredity, a research team led by Isabella Reeves from Flinders University in Australia conducted ancestry testing of Old Tom, sometimes spelled as "Old Thom", believed to be the last member of the mysterious killer whale family that hunted with humans for approximately at least 1,000 years.
Although the Old Tom belongs to the same species of Orca (Orcinus orca) that we know today, the team confirmed that his DNA is different from the living orcas that we know today, suggesting that the killers of Eden orca population that he belongs to is already extinct. These findings also coincide with the uncertain notion that similar orca groups are still alive in other parts of the world now.
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What Happened to Old Tom the Orca?
Old Tom the orca died on September 17 1930 after being found by two fishermen along the shore of Snug Cove, Eden. Experts are still divided regarding the orca's exact cause of death since it remains unknown until now. However, scientists believe he died either of age-related factors or starvation. Prior to his death, Old Tom spent four decades with fishermen to catch baleen whales in the waters off southeastern Australia.
The unique behavior of Old Tom and the orca family involved in the Eden whaling operations even set the stage for decades-long tales about the legendary killer whales of Eden, despite a strong scientific evidence about their existence.
According to the study's co-author, Steven Holmes from the Thaua Traditional Custodian, the Thaua people believed orcas (beowas) to be their brothers, who reincarnated as killer whales when a member of the Thaua people died.
The mutualistic interactions between the Thaua and Old Tom's family were described in written records as the "Law of the Tongue," wherein beowas were seen to slap the waters in front of a whaling station in Eden to alert local whalers. Afterward, the orcas will lead the fishermen to secure a kill for whales.
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