That time A55 Northern Resident killer whale rolled over, surrounded by Pacific white-sided dolphins

In late summer of last year, a short video Raincoast shared on Instagram amassed over 3.6 million views. The footage, captured during our drone-assisted photogrammetry work to evaluate the body condition and health of killer whales, shows Northern Resident A55 encircled by Pacific white-sided dolphins, leaping and swimming around their larger black and white cousin. 

An impressive and uplifting spectacle, although not especially rare. Pacific white-sided dolphins are commonly seen approaching and interacting with fish-eating Resident killer whales. It’s a clever tactic believed to provide them with protection from marine mammal-eating Bigg’s killer whales.

But it wasn’t only the dolphins that captivated millions. No, what gathered the massive viewership  – and hundreds of questions that followed – was A55’s behaviour. The killer whale is seen resting on his left side, right eye pointed skyward for several moments, before resuming his swim. Theories abounded in the comments: Was he playing dead? Tired? Was he looking at the drone?

Let’s dive into some of the questions that surfaced, along with the answers from Raincoast Senior Scientists Valeria Vergara and Lance Barrett-Lennard, Cetacean Conservation Research Program Directors.

We don’t believe A55 was looking at the drone. This footage was taken from a minimum altitude of 30 meters, in strict compliance with SARA permit XMMS-2-2022-Amendment 2 and our own research ethics. At that height, the drone is similar in size to a large seagull flying overhead. While drones do emit noise, very little of that sound transmits effectively from air into the water. In hundreds of flights, we’ve very rarely seen any signs that killer whales are aware of  the drone’s presence, let alone disturbed by it.

So why did he seemingly “play dead”? 

At the time this video was taken, A55 had been surrounded by dolphins for at least a half hour, possibly much longer. Over the years of observation by Raincoast’s scientists and collaborators, the consensus is that the dolphins are the ones who initiate these interactions. Aside from the protection factor, the dolphins may also gain an incidental advantage: education. By spending time with Residents, they learn about maneuverability and speed – incredibly handy intel when being pursued by Biggs. Then there’s the fun factor; dolphins seem to simply enjoy fast moving objects, often swimming with humpbacks and bow-riding alongside boats.

The admiration, it seems, isn’t mutual. Resident killer whales tend to avoid white-sided dolphins. Being crowded by the dolphins likely interferes with the whales’ ability to chase down and catch fish, and their noisy presence can obstruct the whales’ echolocation. So, our sense is that when A55 stopped swimming and lay on his side, he was simply hoping the dolphins would lose interest and just go. Away.

We all need our alone time. 

It is illegal to fly drones over marine mammals if not under permit. This video clips were taken under SARA permit XMMS-2-2022-Amendment 2 (at a minimum 30m altitude).

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