These large aggregations are observed mostly during summer and autumn, though may occupy these waters year-round. The south-western Australian population, found predominately in the Bremer sub-basin (BSB) region has over 140 known animals to date. In Australia, two populations of killer whales have recently been discovered and both feed at least in part on marine mammals. Killer whales off the coast of Western Australia. Understanding orcas role in the marine ecosystem is particularly important for monitoring their prey species, including those that are still recovering from commercial whaling. They are known to predate on large whale calves globally, such as gray and humpback whales, however until now it was unknown whether they hunt and kill the blue whale. Killer whales are the ocean’s apex predator and therefore have a large influence on marine environments preying on a large variety of species, including whales. Just two weeks later a blue whale calf was taken by many of the same individuals and an additional event of another blue whale calf predation was recorded in 2021.
In late March 2019, annual whale and dolphin research surveys led by Cetacean Research Centre (CETREC WA), discovered the first ever record of killer whales hunting and killing an adult blue whale. Ocras hunting a blue whale in the Bremer sub-basin (BSB).
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