It’s a sign of just how big our oceans are that we’re constantly discovering new stuff in them — and sometimes, those new discoveries are pretty big. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been investigating killer whales in the Southern Ocean — and they think they’ve found a new type.
Video footage at end of article.
Killer whales are impressive creatures.
They’re the largest member of a family that also includes dolphins and porpoises. The whole family is known for speed, agility and a level of intelligence that’s sometimes freaky.
Their ingenuity is their strength.
Sure, their size doesn’t hurt. But killer whales have a knack for hunting a wide variety of animals in many different ways. There is no animal that preys on them, making them an apex predator.
There are a few subgroups.
Type D killer whales are the most elusive. Until recently, the only documentation of their existence was based on eyewitness accounts and a single mass stranding even in 1955.
An expedition believes they’ve tracked the elusive whales down.
A team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently found plenty of evidence of Type D orca whales in the Southern Ocean, off of the southern tip of South America, earlier this year.
They’re noticeably different.
Type D killer whales may be elusive, but they’re easy to pick out of a crowd. Their snouts are noticeably thicker than regular killer whales and their white eye patches are much smaller.
There’s more than just the eye test.
While killer whale subgroups are noticeably different in appearance, scientists really need to physically get their hands on real specimens in order to really examine just what it is that makes them different.
They’re finally “real”.
They were known to exist before. But stories from fishermen, and even photographs, aren’t enough to gain much knowledge of an animal, at least in terms of classifying it.
You can spot them from a mile away.
Besides the nose and eye patch differences, the Type D killer whale has a completely different dorsal fin than its cousin. You could tell the difference even if it was lurking just below the surface.
It’s even more significant than just being a new subgroup.
Science tends to classify Type A, B and C killer whales as one species because even though they’re slightly different, they can interbreed. Type D killer whales can probably only breed with each other, making them a distinctly different species.
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How have they stayed hidden for so long?
Most killer whales tend to stay close to shore, while Type D’s lurk far from land, in the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean. “The type D killer whale lives in the most inhospitable waters on the planet,” explained Pitman. “It’s a good place to hide.”
Genetic analyses are incoming.
They’ll need to take a closer look in a lab, of course, so genetic samples are on their way back to NOAA HQ. “We are very excited about the genetic analyses to come,” said Pitman.
It’s literally a big discovery.
“Type D killer whales could be the largest undescribed animal left on the planet and a clear indication of how little we know about life in our oceans,” Pitman said.
We can’t wait to see how this develops.
Killer whales are undeniably cool beasts, and it sounds like human’s understanding of them has barely scratched the surface. Because of this expedition, we’ll soon know a little more.
h/t: NOAA Fisheries
