Are there killer whales in australia

The Sanctuary includes all Commonwealth waters from the three nm state waters limit out to the boundary of the Australian EEZ i. The preferred habitat of Killer Whales includes oceanic, pelagic and neritic relatively shallow waters over the continental shelf regions, in both warm and cold waters. They may be more common in cold, deep waters, but off Australia, Killer Whales are most often seen along the continental slope and on the shelf, particularly near seal colonies.

The habitat of Killer Whales is difficult to categorise due to the cosmopolitan nature of the species and its ability to inhabit all oceans. Subantarctic observations indicate that Killer Whales return to subantarctic Islands, such as Macquarie Island, during the summer.

In the north-eastern Pacific, use of different habitats has been linked to behavioural requirements, and the movements of prey Similae et al. Some studies in other parts of the world suggest that this pattern may be universal Jefferson et al. Killer Whales are not part of, nor do they rely on, a listed ecological community. However, they do prey on other listed threatened species, such as Southern Elephant Seals in the subantarctic, plus other cetaceans.

Life history data for Killer Whales are limited, thus reproductive information is based on non-Australian data. Males reach sexual maturity at 16 years of age and 5. The most common disease reported from wild free-ranging Killer Whales is a jaw infection resulting from tooth wear which exposes the tooth pulp cavity.

Atherosclerosis has also been reported. Strandings are uncommon in Australia, however one mass stranding nine animals occurred in Tasmania Bannister et al. Matrilineal groups are the basic unit of social organisation in Killer Whales, consisting of whales from two to three generations. Each pod of Killer Whales, or local group of pods, is largely endogamous mating occurs predominately within the group and differs in minor ways from neighbouring groups in both morphology and genetics, as well as in traditions such as migratory behaviour, prey choice, and dialects Rice Killer Whale calves are born at three to eight year intervals.

Although mating occurs all year round, the calving season spans several months. No calving areas are known in Australian waters. There are no known reproductive behaviours that may make Killer Whales vulnerable to threatening processes, however, the three to eight year calving interval leads to a slow reproductive capacity.

Killer Whales are top-level carnivores. Their diet varies seasonally and regionally. In the north-eastern Pacific, the two identified groups of Killer Whales feed on different prey. The 'resident' whales eat mostly fish, while the 'transient' whales feed on birds and mammals Saulitis et al. Smaller prey are also important. The varied diet and cultural complexity of Killer Whales have resulted in great plasticity and specialisation in foraging behaviour Ford et al. Limited observations have been made on Killer Whale foraging behaviour in Australian waters, particularly when hunting other cetaceans.

A confirmed report from South Australia described about 13 Killer Whales attacking a pod of Sperm Whales grouped in the protective 'daisy' formation Bannister et al. Pitman and colleagues described a similar, successful, attack by some 35 Killer Whales on nine Sperm Whales. Ship-based observations in the Antarctic report similar pack-hunting strategies when attacking both Humpback and Minke Whales Peddemors , pers.

Repeated attacks on a pair of Humpback Whales included individuals surging forward onto the backs of the Humpback Whales while the other Killer Whales surrounded the prey. During observations of an attack on an Antarctic Minke Whale, it was noted that the pack of Killer Whales were silent, with shrieks and calls only being exchanged after the Minke Whale had been captured Peddemors , pers. Antarctic Killer Whales have also been observed creating waves to wash hauled out seals off ice floes Visser et al.

Type A occurs mainly offshore and preys on Minke Whales. Type B inhabits inshore waters, pack ice and the Antarctic Peninsula Area.

Seals appear to be the most important prey for Type B. Killer Whales frequently scavenged from the carcasses produced by whalers. This practice was prominent with large-scale mechanical whaling in the 20th century, which created temporally and spatially clustered floating carcasses. The carcasses were often the large whale species, preferred by Killer Whales, which normally sink after natural death beyond their diving range.

During the mid 20th century, floating whaled carcasses were more abundant than those resulting from natural mortality, and scavenging Killer Whales multiplied through shifts in diet and reprodction. During the s availability of carcasses fell dramatically with the cessation of most whaling operations. Killer Whale depredation of fish off longlines has been recorded throughout their range, including Tasmanian and subantarctic waters. Although there are no records of deaths as a result of this interaction, fishers have been known to shoot at the Killer Whales, potentially injuring or killing them.

Killer whales are known to make seasonal movements, and probably follow regular migratory routes. Less is known about the movements of Types B and C Killer Whale; both types have been photographed in New Zealand waters, suggesting they could also be migratory Andrews et al.

However, no information is available for Australian Killer Whales. In most geographical regions, Killer Whale movements may be related to movements of their prey. Culik Distinctiveness Killer Whales are easily recognisable. The large size of the dorsal fin especially in adult males and unique black and white colouration are diagnostic. At a distance, groups without adult males may be confused with Risso's Dolphins and False Killer Whales Jefferson et al.

Detectability Killer Whales exhibit the usual cetacean behaviour patterns of breaching, spy-hopping, lob-tailing and flipper-slapping. Communication between Killer Whales is visual, tactile and acoustic. Recommended methods Cetacean surveys are constrained by several important factors including weather e.

Surveys for oceanic cetaceans such as Killer Whales have primarily been boat-based transects. There are almost no dedicated cetacean surveys conducted in continental Australian waters, but surveys conducted in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic have covered substantial portions of potential range of Killer Whales.

During non-dedicated surveys, a minimum requirement is to record all cetacean sightings encountered with corresponding GPS position, environmental data sea conditions and habitat and behavioural observations. Threats to Killer Whales include pollution, targeted hunting and illegal killing, and interactions with fisheries, including the potential for incidental capture.

High levels of pollutants have been reported in Killer Whales Ross et al. Species such as Killer Whales near the top of aquatic food chains typically have high concentrations of persistent organic pollutants POP , of which Polychlorinated biphenyl PCB frequently dominates Hickie et al.

Killer whales are among the most PCB-contaminated marine mammals in the world Ross et al. PCB may affect immune systems, development, and reproduction Hickie et al. A neonate Killer Whale that stranded in Victoria had moderate levels Historically, Killer Whales have been hunted in the Antarctic by whalers whose catches, between and , numbered up to about per season.

Killer Whales have also been seen as a competitor to fishing and sealing industries and may have been killed by fishers for that reason. Current illegal killing is of concern in some areas e. Incidental deaths in fishing nets have not been reported in Australian waters. Other threats include reduction of food resources by fishing of prey species, entanglement in driftnets set outside the Australian EEZ, and in lost or discarded netting in international waters Bannister et al.

Potential threats may include competition from expanding commercial fisheries in higher latitudes, such as those for Orange Roughy, Patagonian Toothfish and cephalopods squids , and from increasing pollution leading to accumulation of toxic substances in body tissues, although these latter are likely to be low Bannister et al. Killer Whales that are dependent on sea ice for foraging in Antarctica, may be especially vulnerable to changes in sea ice coverage due to climate change Andrews et al.

Little is known about reproduction in Australian Killer Whales, however, it is likely that they have a low reproductive rate, producing one offspring every several years Ross This may indicate that population recovery is a slow process.

Bannister and colleagues , Ross , and Secchi and Vaska , recommended the following actions be taken to better understand the threats to Killer Whales: Determine the distribution and monitor abundance of Killer Whales in Australian waters to assess the possible impact of threats, particularly the effect of direct and indirect fishing activities.

This should be done via a sighting program to monitor numbers, particularly in southern waters. Pooling of existing sightings and strandings data to locate possible concentration areas should be considered.

Obtain information on Killer Whale diet to determine their trophic level and assess any possible impact of the fishing industry on Odontocete food resources, especially for species such as tuna.

Obtain basic biological information including diet and pollutant levels from incidentally-caught and stranded Killer Whale specimens. Ensure specimens are made available to appropriate scientific museums to enable collection of life history data and tissue samples for genetic analysis.

Current projects initiated to address these threats include a requirement to report all incidental catches made within the Australian EEZ Bannister et al.

Disentanglement workshops have also been initiated, and may be particularly relevant for offshore fishers. Marine bioregional plans have been developed for four of Australia's marine regions - South-west, North-west, North and Temperate East. Marine Bioregional Plans will help improve the way decisions are made under the EPBC Act, particularly in relation to the protection of marine biodiversity and the sustainable use of our oceans and their resources by our marine-based industries.

Marine Bioregional Plans improve our understanding of Australia's oceans by presenting a consolidated picture of the biophysical characteristics and diversity of marine life. They describe the marine environment and conservation values of each marine region, set out broad biodiversity objectives, identify regional priorities and outline strategies and actions to address these priorities.

Click here for more information about marine bioregional plans. Andrews, R. Ballance Polar Biology. Baird, R. Dill Ecological and social determinants of group size in transient killer whales. Behavioral Ecology. Bannister, J. Warneke The Action Plan for Australian Cetaceans. Canberra: Australian Nature Conservation Agency. Black, N. Ternullo, A. Ruiz Chatto R. Records of cetacean strandings in the Northern Territory of Australia. Culik, B. Orcinus Orca. As predators of humpbacks, orcas are prone to following the whales to hunt their pray.

With safety in numbers, pods of up to 50 humpbacks can defend each other against an orca attack. Knowing orcas are attracted to humpback whales; you may even be lucky enough to view killer whales on a whale-watching tour leaving from the Gold Coast. As natural predators of the sea, killer whales are not suited to captive environments. We know that killer whales hunt in pods of up to 40, and by studying their prey — humpback whales — we can learn a lot more about the diet, lifestyle and habits of the most feared sea mammal which goes towards the protection of the king of the sea long into the future.

Known as the MV Steep Point it has five huge viewing decks over three levels, which means you always have room to move around and find your own bit of space throughout the day.

He knows the waters better than anyone just watch him when you stop to check out the seals on the way back. This boat is exactly what you need to navigate out to the waters of Bremer Canyon. It took us just over an hour to get from the marina to the canyon almost half the time of the other tour companies , and before we knew it there were orca whales all around us. Once we were out at sea the crew started a live commentary that lasted for the whole day. It was fantastic.

They told us about the orca pods that were around us, the whales that they recognised and tracked regularly, what side of the boat we could get the best view of the whales, what their behaviour meant and what they were doing as they moved along side us.

Our day out on the ocean with Whale Watch Western Australia was amazing. For a few hours we followed a pod of more than 25 whales who were hunting — travelling along the surface for a few minutes and then diving down for about seven minutes at a time to try and find food for the pod to eat.

Also known as Killer Whales, this is a really beautiful species of whale, extremely smart and the largest of the oceanic dolphin family. The largest males can measure up to six to eight metres in length and weigh more than six tonnes, with full sized females slightly smaller.

We followed many different pods throughout the day. Watching them as they hunted and socialised. We even saw a nursery pod, where a female whale looks after some of the younger whales while the rest of the pod were hunting.

It was just such a special day out on the ocean. Whale Watching Western Australia also had a buffet on board all day where you could help yourself to any food you might want. Such a great idea — you could head to the bar whenever you wanted to grab yourself a snack or a larger meal, which meant you never missed out throughout the day. They also have a licensed bar on-board which opened on the way back to Bremer Bay, so you could grab a beer or wine on the way back if you wanted.

It is home to the largest congregation of orcas in the Southern Hemisphere, who come here to hunt and feed. This feeding ground is the reason why orca whale sightings are guaranteed on these tours.

During the summer time orca whales come here predominately to feed on giant squid that come to the area, however we also saw them feeding on salmon during our visit to the canyon. In recent years that have been said to be killing dolphins and it has even been recorded that they took down a Blue Whale as a group to feed.

Whether you are prone to sea sickness or not, we would highly recommend that you take some travel sickness tablets before you set off on an Orca Whale Watching tour.