Orca Calves Learn Lethal Tactics Through Play: Rare Footage Captures Gripping Training Ritual
In extraordinary new footage captured off the coast of Western Australia, orca mothers are seen teaching their calves how to drown prey—part of a brutal but vital survival lesson. The never-before-filmed sequence shows young orcas simulating attacks that prepare them to take down massive marine giants, including blue whales.
The video reveals a fascinating training session: one young orca plays the role of prey, while others in the pod practice submerging its blowhole—the organ whales use to breathe—mimicking how they would suffocate large animals during real hunts. The calf is briefly held underwater before being released, a demonstration of the technique’s precision and power.
Later in the same footage, the pod applies these skills during an attempted hunt on a blue whale, the largest animal to have ever lived. The orcas are seen surrounding the whale’s head and pushing it beneath the surface to block its breathing. Although it’s unclear whether the whale is ultimately killed, the strategic ambush highlights how orcas use learned behavior to overpower even the ocean’s most colossal creatures.
While marine biologists have long known that orcas can drown whales, this is the first time the practice drills leading up to such hunts have been documented on film.
The dramatic scene was captured for the BBC’s upcoming wildlife series Parenthood, and is narrated by Sir David Attenborough. “These orca need to be at the top of their game,” he says. “They hunt the largest animals that have ever lived: blue whales.”
The sequence was made possible by cutting-edge filming technology, including gimbals and tow cameras, allowing the crew to track the orcas at their full hunting speed. This innovation provided an unprecedented look into the coordinated techniques and social learning within orca pods.
Filming took place near Bremer Bay, a known hotspot for orca activity, where roughly 200 individuals form the largest congregation of orcas in the Southern Hemisphere. These pods typically feed on giant and colossal squid, but occasionally set their sights on blue whales—not necessarily for sustenance, but potentially for sport.
“They toy with whales the way cats play with their prey,” explained marine biologist Nancy Black, referencing previous sightings of orcas attacking blue whales. Juveniles or weak whales are typically targeted, as they are more vulnerable and less able to outpace the fast-moving orcas.
Parenthood explores a range of unique parenting strategies in the animal kingdom. Series director Jeff Wilson highlighted another memorable story: the African social spider mother who not only raises dozens of offspring communally but ultimately sacrifices herself as food—a behavior known as matriphagy.
The five-part series is set to air in the U.S. on PBS’s Nature later this year or early next year.