Social Lives of Killer Whales: Drone Footage Reveals They Have Close 'Friends'

Drone footage has captured the social lives of southern resident killer whales like it has never done before, and their friendships seem surprisingly similar to that of humans.

The Drone Footage

Tracking a single pod of 22 killer whales for 10 days, researchers noticed a complicated web of relationships, close friendships inclusive. Resident killer whales live their entire lives in the same pod they were given birth in, but that doesn't imply they have to like everyone surrounding them equally.

Over the course of their lives, their association with other whales in their group seems to ebb and flow. Researchers noticed in the drone footage that most whales showed a liking for the company of specific individuals, deciding to surface with them and come in contact with them more often than others.

These are signs of social affiliation and cooperation, which suggest a close bond. Most times, these close relationships formed between whales of one sex and age.

Adult Male Killer Whales

Study's lead author, Michael Weiss from the University of Exeter said: "Our discoveries reveal that, even within these tight-knit groups, whales like to interact with specific individuals."

"It's like when your mother takes you to a party as a child - you didn't choose the party, but you can still pick who to hang out with once you're there." Judging by the physical contact between particular whales, the young females are the life of the party. They appeared to play a major role in the social network of the group.

The authors aren't certain why that is, but they propose adult male killer whales spend more of their time hunting for food and less time socializing so as to maintain their larger bodies. On the contrary, young whales are cared for by their mothers and fed prey by others, which gives them enough time to play with their friends, mostly other young whales that aren't busy hunting.

Parallels Between Whales

Behavioral ecologist Darren Croft from the University of Exeter said: "We were surprised to see how much contact there is between whales - how touchy they are." Croft is captivated by the parallels he saw between whales and other animals like ourselves.

He explained saying that in many species, humans inclusive, physical contact tends to be a soothing, stress-relieving activity that strengthens social connection. He said they also examined times when whales surfaced together - as acting in uniformity is a sign of social ties in most species.

One of the most fascinating parallels Croft and his team have noticed is concerning their age. The older the killer whale, the less social they seemed to be in the footage. This aligns with the behavior of other social mammals, who also generally become less social as they age, both humans.

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