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Killer whales are highly
intelligent, extremely powerful

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and they hunt in packs -

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a lethal combination that makes
them the most formidable predators.

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Using state-of-the-art photography
and computer images
modelled on real footage,

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this film reveals new insights

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into the lives
of these majestic ocean hunters.

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Up to 7m long
and 6 tonnes in weight,

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killer whales
are capable of extreme violence.

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But they can also display
great gentleness.

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This is Shamu -

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star of the the SeaWorld Aquarium
in San Diego, California.

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The whale show puts the trainers
in exactly the same situation
as a killer whale's prey.

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No other predator would tolerate
this. We KNOW they can be deadly.

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There is no greater contrast
between the hunters of the wild

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and SeaWorld's gentle star.

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So which is the real killer whale?

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Do they have
a Jekyll and Hyde personality?

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Or are some killer whales
more violent than others?

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To discover their true nature,

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we need to piece together
the results of several studies.

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To do that, we need to span
the globe because, next to humans,

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killer whales are the most
widespread mammals on earth.

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Our journey begins in the southern
Indian Ocean in the Crozet Islands -

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2,000 miles south-east of Cape Town.

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The islands are sustained
by rich Antarctic waters

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and are a wildlife paradise.

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They're home to a population
of killer whales

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who've developed a taste for birds.

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The sea water here is crystal clear,

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making Crozet one of the best places
to observe killer whales.

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Killer whales
live in small social groups.

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These ones
have been studied for years.

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Scientists know each one by name.

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This four-year-old calf
is called Junior.

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Even at his age, young killer
whales join in hunting expeditions.

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They're encouraged to watch
and learn.

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There's a close bond between
mothers and their offspring.

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This matri-line is the core
of killer whales' society.

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It's a caring society,

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but not to its prey - king penguins.

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There are plenty of penguins here,

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but they're fast swimmers -
hard to catch in the open sea.

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So the whales patrol the shallow
waters looking for opportunities.

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These are large birds
weighing 13 kilos -

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a good meal for a killer whale.

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At times like this, the safest place
is out of the water.

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But killer whales are smart.
They watch for birds by spy-hopping.

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The penguins
WILL have to go back in the water.

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The whales are waiting.

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The hunt is on!

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By adding computer images
to the live action,

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we can re-create
the whale's strategy.

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In deeper water
the penguins can twist and turn.

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The whales use a surprising tactic.

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They let the penguins head for shore,
towards the safety of the beach.

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It's a gamble. If the penguins get
ashore, the whales will go hungry.

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Shallow water reduces the penguin's
room for manoeuvre.

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The backwash slows them down as
the killer whale powers in to kill.

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The whales have targeted the
penguins at precisely the moment
when the birds are most vulnerable.

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Hunting penguins in the shallows
is a huge risk.

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Here, the whales are vulnerable.

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The slightest mistake
could leave the whales stranded

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to face a slow, painful death.

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Hunting in the surf
isn't natural for killer whales.

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It's a skill they must learn.

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This mother is teaching her
daughter, Delphine, the technique.

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First she pushes her onto the beach.

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Then she helps her refloat.

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Each lesson gives the youngster
a little more confidence.

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As Delphine grows,

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she will master the skill and will
catch her own prey in the surf zone.

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The pickings are good for those
who learn to hunt in the surf.

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We have a word for behaviour like
this, passed from one to another -

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culture.

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It seems that culture also plays
a major part in killer whale life.

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Young whales learn not only how to
hunt penguins, but how to eat them.

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The trick is to squeeze the body
out of its feathery envelope.

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All that remains
is an empty penguin wrapper.

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For killer whales every feeding
opportunity requires skill,

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intelligence and co-operation.

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It is clear that these animals
are very adaptable.

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Sometimes whales have to cope with
special conditions, like the surf.

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Other times it's their prey's
behaviour that is the challenge.

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This is Norway - 8,000 miles
to the north on the Arctic Circle.

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There are no penguins in these
waters, so the resident killer
whales have a different diet.

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It's the breeding season
for herring,

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which migrate from the North
Atlantic into the Norwegian fjords.

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The herring boats are waiting,
as are the whales.

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It's not much of a contest
for a big, fast killer whale

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to catch a small herring.

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For a 6 tonne whale, one herring
is like a cocktail shrimp to us -

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good food,
but it takes a lot to fill you up.

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There is a way to make it
all worthwhile - bulk fishing!

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That requires a different technique
from the Crozet penguin hunters.

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Here the key to hunting success
is co-operation.

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By adding computer images to the
action we can see how it works.

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Working as a team,
the whales surround their quarry.

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They roll over, flashing their
white bellies to scare the fish.

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The herring
bunch together for protection.

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The whale's strategy is to force
the herring upwards, trapping them
against the water's surface.

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As they rise, the herring
release air bubbles for buoyancy.

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Amongst the blizzard of bubbles -
the sound of killer whale calls.

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WHALE CALLS

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Below, the pod is working
the herring shoal,

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rounding them up,
pushing them to the surface.

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This technique is called
carousel feeding.

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With the herring surrounded and
tightly bunched together, the whales
are ready to make their next move.

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Massive tail-slaps stun the fish.

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There will be plenty to go round.

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This elegant feeding ballet
is set to the whales' own music.

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These sounds are full of meaning.

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WHALE CALLS

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Scientists can distinguish
over 20 different calls
within this pod's repertoire.

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Communication is the key
cultural feature of these whales.

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They chatter frequently.

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WHALES CALL

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Within a pod, each killer whale
can recognise all of its neighbours'
voices, even at a distance.

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Sound travels well in water,

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so killer whale contact calls can
be heard at least ten miles away.

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Each pod has specific calls
which aren't used by other pods.

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Like humans, killer whales can
recognise foreigners by speech.

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Killer whales don't inherit
their language, they learn it.

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At first, a newborn whale
can only make baby talk.

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Its mother repeats particular calls
and, as it grows up,

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the calf builds its own repertoire.

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It's not very different from the way
human babies learn their language.

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This is the first stage of the
young whale's cultural initiation.

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Its first step
to a unique identity.

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There's something else killer whales
can do with their voices. Something
we've just learned to exploit -

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sonar.

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Sonar allows fishing boats
to find and follow the shoals.

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Killer whales' sonar allows them to
keep their prey under surveillance

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in darkness or murky water.

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Fishermen and killer whales have
shared these waters for centuries.

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Up until the mid-1900s, the whales
always scooped the fishermen.

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They were faster than boats
and better at finding the fish.

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All that changed
when people discovered sonar.

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Now the boats were able to turn
the whales' technique against them.

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For a short time, the whales
were out-competed by the fishermen.

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But that didn't last for long.

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Soon the whales understood that the
behaviour of the boats was a useful
guide in finding the herring.

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And because they don't need
cumbersome nets, the whales can get
in quick, ahead of the competition.

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In a changing world, killer whales
have learned to modify their
culture to stay ahead of the game.

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This ability to adapt to situations
and learn new behaviours

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is what makes
killer whales so successful.

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It's only when whales compete
with people

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that we appreciate their
intelligence and resourcefulness.

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Here's another example
of whales outsmarting people

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in the Mediterranean.

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On the receiving end
is another prized fishing industry.

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Not herring this time,
but giant bluefin tuna.

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A fish this big
will net the crew at least $2,000.

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The boats are following
a long tradition.

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Every summer, bluefin tuna
migrate to the Atlantic Ocean.

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Each year the fishermen wait.

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And so do the killer whales.

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Concrete blocks
take the bait down to 200m,

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because tuna swim very deep
as well as fast.

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With the line paid out,
the crew can only wait and hope.

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And watch the whales.

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MAN SHOUTS ORDERS

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A fish is hooked.

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The sound of the winch
is a signal to the waiting whales.

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The fishermen work fast
to bring in the line.

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The whales simply bide their time.

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As the fish nears the boat,
all the fight has gone out of it.

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It's as easy a meal as a whale
could hope for.

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The whales
can strip the tuna in minutes.

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All that remains for the fishermen
are leftovers.

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This piracy on the high seas does
nothing for the whales' popularity.

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This is too good an opportunity
for them to miss.

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These killer whales began stealing
this way around 30 years ago.

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Now the culture has spread among
all the members of two local pods.

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The boats don't stand a chance.

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Scientists have discovered

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that killer whales don't all behave
in the same way.

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Some are more inclined
to share their food.

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Others are selfish
and keep their food to themselves.

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It seems that, like us, each killer
whale has an unique personality.

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While hunting defenceless herring
or tethered tuna might seem easy,

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not all fish are so defenceless.

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Here off the coast of New Zealand,
the rich waters attract

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squadrons of stingrays.

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Compared to other killer whale
prey, like Crozet's fast penguins,

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these rays are like sitting ducks.

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At first sight,
the stingray looks an easy target,

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but it has a secret weapon -

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a sharp spike on its tail which
can deliver an agonising poison.

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The whales will have to take care.

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The ray has been spotted.

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The whales have a special strategy
for catching stingrays.

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Unlike chasing penguins
or rounding up herring,

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this is a game of cat and mouse.

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The fish
has one advantage over the whales.

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It doesn't need air.

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Once it goes to ground, the ray
can stay as long as it likes.

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The whales have no hope of flushing
it out. Instead, they move away.

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With the coast clear,
the ray leaves its shelter
and heads to shallower water.

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Not the smartest of moves.

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It's what the whales
are waiting for.

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Stingrays are a favourite prey
of these whales, but they take
their time finishing it off.

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This hunt seems more
of a social event.

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Once the ray nears the surface,
the advantage moves to the whales.

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It's in a vulnerable position,
where they can attack

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without risk of getting stung.

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In the end, the ray is outmanoeuvred,
outsmarted and outdone.

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10,000 miles to the west
in Argentina

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are the world's
most famous killer whales.

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It's April, and in the sea lion
colony at Punta Norte,

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the pups are almost full grown.

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As Mum basks on the beach,

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her offspring is learning to swim,
playing in the surf.

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This could be a sea lion heaven.

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There's a good beach
and plenty of fish in the sea.

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However, the whales
didn't come here for the fish.

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The sea lions know
the killer whales are out there,

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but they can't stay on land forever.

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Mother's milk is running out.
It's time her baby got seafood.

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And there's only one place
to get that -

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in whale-infested waters.

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The killer whales come here
each year at exactly this time.

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You might say it's a tradition.

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The sea lions have a problem.

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They don't know where the whales
are. It's unsafe to enter the surf.

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The sea is always cloudy.

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That can favour an ambush or it can
help the sea lions go unnoticed.

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The whales have an advantage -
to get in or out of the sea,

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the sea lions must pass
the same narrow stretch of surf.

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For that brief period, the whales
know exactly where they are.

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The whales patrol deep water,

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but their hunting style differs
from their fish-eating cousins.

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Sea lions have very good hearing.

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Any sound the whales make
gives their position away.

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00:29:17,820 --> 00:29:20,345
This is a silent operation.

235
00:29:20,380 --> 00:29:23,700
The whales keep calls to a minimum.

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00:29:27,780 --> 00:29:31,539
Their behaviour is wary,
cautious...

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00:29:31,574 --> 00:29:33,739
almost sinister.

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00:29:37,819 --> 00:29:42,859
The sea lions have one strategy
for the dangerous crossing -

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00:29:42,894 --> 00:29:45,344
do it as fast as possible.

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00:29:45,379 --> 00:29:49,659
Even if they reach the surf,
they're still not safe.

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00:30:36,899 --> 00:30:40,504
Like their cousins
in the Crozet Islands,

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00:30:40,539 --> 00:30:45,420
these killer whales have developed
their hunting in the surf.

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00:30:51,660 --> 00:30:55,939
The captured sea lion
is carried to deeper water.

244
00:31:00,060 --> 00:31:02,179
There's no escape.

245
00:31:25,020 --> 00:31:28,664
Many predators
play with their victims.

246
00:31:28,699 --> 00:31:34,059
There's no doubt this brutal game
helps the whale's hunting skills.

247
00:31:39,700 --> 00:31:43,859
The tail fluke
is a killer whale's secret weapon.

248
00:31:43,894 --> 00:31:46,900
Such a specialised killing technique

249
00:31:46,935 --> 00:31:49,300
takes time to perfect.

250
00:32:13,899 --> 00:32:18,384
Hunting sea lions
is a cultural tradition,

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00:32:18,419 --> 00:32:23,820
based on knowledge and experience,
taught by each generation.

252
00:32:24,900 --> 00:32:29,859
However, not all cultural traditions
are about catching prey.

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00:32:33,619 --> 00:32:38,579
This pod, near British Columbia,
has been studied for 30 years.

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00:32:38,614 --> 00:32:43,020
It's one of the best known
groups of whales in the world.

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00:32:48,259 --> 00:32:50,864
In a few special places,

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00:32:50,899 --> 00:32:55,459
these killer whales come right
inshore, not for food,

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00:32:55,494 --> 00:32:58,180
but for a bit of pampering.

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00:33:00,779 --> 00:33:04,065
It happens in just two small coves

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00:33:04,100 --> 00:33:08,299
with beaches composed of coarse,
even-sized pebbles.

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00:33:08,334 --> 00:33:12,060
Just what a whale needs
for a good body rub.

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00:33:30,180 --> 00:33:33,739
PEBBLES CLASH

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00:33:35,820 --> 00:33:41,860
Beach-rubbing has a long tradition.
Older whales, often females,

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00:33:41,895 --> 00:33:44,859
show the youngsters how it's done.

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00:33:48,420 --> 00:33:50,825
As in elephants and humans,

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00:33:50,860 --> 00:33:55,079
female killer whales
live well beyond the menopause -

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00:33:55,114 --> 00:33:59,299
often 30 years
after the birth of their last calf.

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00:33:59,334 --> 00:34:02,305
The older, more experienced whales

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00:34:02,340 --> 00:34:06,300
are keepers of the pod's
hard-earned knowledge.

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00:34:09,100 --> 00:34:13,599
They know the geography
of this coast intimately.

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00:34:13,634 --> 00:34:18,099
Without them, the younger whales
would be all at sea.

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00:34:26,739 --> 00:34:31,740
But the beach-rubbing pod
isn't alone in these waters.

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00:34:32,820 --> 00:34:39,859
There are other killer whales
who visit the area - strangers
who behave in a different fashion.

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00:34:43,260 --> 00:34:46,380
They make hardly any sound.

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00:34:51,300 --> 00:34:55,200
The strangers cohabit
the same inshore waters,

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00:34:55,235 --> 00:34:59,100
yet live separate lifestyles
and never mix.

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00:34:59,135 --> 00:35:02,144
They don't share the same dialect.

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00:35:02,179 --> 00:35:08,259
It's as if they belong
to a different species
or at least a different tribe.

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00:35:10,459 --> 00:35:17,059
The outsiders live a nomadic life
and are known to scientists
as transients,

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00:35:17,094 --> 00:35:21,625
to distinguish them
from the beach-rubbing residents.

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00:35:21,660 --> 00:35:28,260
Transient killer whales occur along
the west coast of North America.
They're great travellers.

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00:35:30,859 --> 00:35:37,579
The north Pacific waters of Alaska
are a rich fishing ground
for whales, big and small.

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00:35:38,659 --> 00:35:44,059
Out here in the open ocean, there
is no cover for a large predator.

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00:35:44,094 --> 00:35:46,539
Nor for its prey.

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00:35:48,780 --> 00:35:51,780
These are Dahl's porpoises.

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00:36:01,299 --> 00:36:05,340
Transient killer whales
have little interest in fish.

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00:36:05,375 --> 00:36:09,019
Their culture is about
big game hunting.

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00:36:09,054 --> 00:36:12,184
Porpoises are high on the menu.

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00:36:12,219 --> 00:36:17,185
Dahl's porpoise
has a top speed of 35mph.

289
00:36:17,220 --> 00:36:23,820
Killer whales are slower,
but they can keep their top speed
of 30mph for longer.

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00:36:31,179 --> 00:36:35,140
This type of hunt
is about speed and co-operation.

291
00:36:54,699 --> 00:36:57,699
The hunters close in on their prey.

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00:37:02,979 --> 00:37:06,859
A sudden eruption of noise
announces the kill.

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00:37:06,894 --> 00:37:09,859
It's as if the whales
are celebrating.

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00:37:36,859 --> 00:37:42,619
Not much remains of the porpoise
after the whales are through.

295
00:37:47,299 --> 00:37:52,179
Killer whales don't just target
prey smaller than themselves.

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00:37:53,259 --> 00:37:58,980
Off the coast of California, a grey
whale and her baby are in danger.

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00:38:05,820 --> 00:38:12,859
Once again, computer images
give the underwater view
of an extraordinary hunt.

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00:38:12,894 --> 00:38:16,385
The grey whale calf
is a few weeks old.

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00:38:16,420 --> 00:38:21,420
It's following its mother towards
the feeding grounds in Alaska.

300
00:38:22,459 --> 00:38:27,499
They've reached Monterey Bay, where
a deep trench cuts in from the sea.

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00:38:31,780 --> 00:38:37,140
As they move beyond the trench wall,
the grey whales lose their cover.

302
00:38:39,460 --> 00:38:47,019
In the bay, the killer whales are
listening for that telltale sound -
the breathing of a grey whale.

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00:38:51,780 --> 00:38:55,305
Immediately,
their behaviour changes.

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00:38:55,340 --> 00:38:59,379
The killers close ranks
like a hunting wolf pack.

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00:39:09,819 --> 00:39:13,939
The killer whales have caught up
with the mother and calf.

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00:39:13,974 --> 00:39:16,939
And now the chase is on.

307
00:39:19,459 --> 00:39:23,460
The grey whales try to out-swim
their attackers.

308
00:39:25,579 --> 00:39:29,620
Fast swimming pushes up
the grey whales' breathing rate.

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00:39:29,655 --> 00:39:32,940
A breathless calf
is easier to catch.

310
00:39:33,979 --> 00:39:36,665
The killers work as a team.

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00:39:36,700 --> 00:39:41,139
Their first goal is to separate
the baby from its mother.

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00:39:44,139 --> 00:39:47,620
The grey whale mother
is a formidable adversary.

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00:39:47,655 --> 00:39:50,637
She could harm a killer whale

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00:39:50,672 --> 00:39:53,619
with one slap of her tail fluke.

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00:40:02,100 --> 00:40:06,379
One of the attackers
pushes between mother and calf.

316
00:40:27,739 --> 00:40:30,265
The strategy is working.

317
00:40:30,300 --> 00:40:33,459
The grey whales are forced apart.

318
00:40:36,979 --> 00:40:41,340
With the baby separated,
the killer whales change strategy.

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00:40:41,375 --> 00:40:43,899
Their goal is to drown the calf.

320
00:40:58,260 --> 00:41:01,860
The killer whales
take turns to attack.

321
00:41:07,939 --> 00:41:14,379
One head-butts the baby whale.
That's 6 tonnes of force
powering into the calf.

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00:41:35,259 --> 00:41:40,219
It's a titanic struggle
that continues for almost six hours.

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00:42:27,859 --> 00:42:33,739
With all hope lost, the mother grey
whale must leave her stricken calf.

324
00:42:37,540 --> 00:42:40,540
The killers are left to feed.

325
00:42:51,460 --> 00:42:55,659
After all that effort,
only the grey whale's tongue

326
00:42:55,694 --> 00:42:58,419
and part of its jaw is eaten.

327
00:43:00,300 --> 00:43:04,105
It seems as if the hunt
was an end in itself.

328
00:43:04,140 --> 00:43:09,420
A masterclass in killing technique
rather than a quest for food.

329
00:43:16,339 --> 00:43:18,864
After what we've just seen,

330
00:43:18,899 --> 00:43:24,219
diving with wild killer whales
might seem extremely reckless.

331
00:43:26,260 --> 00:43:28,939
This is Tysfjord in Norway.

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00:43:30,100 --> 00:43:37,180
For years, a local dive operator
has been offering tourists a unique
encounter with wild killer whales.

333
00:43:46,699 --> 00:43:51,060
Up till now, there has been
no aggression from the whales.

334
00:43:51,095 --> 00:43:53,140
Nor even an accident.

335
00:43:55,219 --> 00:44:00,659
Yet we've seen that some killer
whales target mammals as their prey.

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00:44:00,694 --> 00:44:06,099
Humans are much the same size as
sea lions and much easier targets.

337
00:44:20,779 --> 00:44:24,979
If killer whales were purely
opportunistic predators,

338
00:44:25,014 --> 00:44:29,179
a slow-moving snorkeller
would be the easiest prey.

339
00:44:51,780 --> 00:44:57,220
A big shark would bite first and
then decides if it likes the taste.

340
00:44:57,255 --> 00:44:59,984
Why don't killer whales do the same?

341
00:45:00,019 --> 00:45:04,099
Do they simply not recognise us
as potential food?

342
00:45:04,134 --> 00:45:07,024
Or are they scared of us?

343
00:45:07,059 --> 00:45:10,020
They're not behaving that way.

344
00:45:14,579 --> 00:45:18,499
There is one likely answer
to these questions.

345
00:45:18,534 --> 00:45:22,420
Which takes us back to Shamu
in San Diego.

346
00:45:29,899 --> 00:45:36,820
Indeed, there's an interesting
connection between Shamu
and the Norwegian killer whales.

347
00:45:36,855 --> 00:45:38,899
A cultural connection.

348
00:45:44,299 --> 00:45:49,100
Like most captive killer whales,
Shamu's family are fish-eaters.

349
00:45:53,499 --> 00:45:56,580
Shamu's group happens to like fish.

350
00:45:57,660 --> 00:46:01,939
But could they develop a taste
for sea lions, dolphins,

351
00:46:01,974 --> 00:46:04,544
whales or even humans?

352
00:46:04,579 --> 00:46:10,939
But that underestimates
the powerful force of culture
in killer whale life.

353
00:46:14,580 --> 00:46:19,860
Shamu's group simply has no interest
in hunting mammals.

354
00:46:26,779 --> 00:46:29,744
Fish-eating
is a specialised lifestyle -

355
00:46:29,779 --> 00:46:35,059
passed on within a particular family
from one generation to the next.

356
00:46:39,859 --> 00:46:44,820
Mammal-hunting killer whales
have their own distinct traditions.

357
00:46:44,855 --> 00:46:48,259
They don't interbreed
with fish-eaters.

358
00:46:50,979 --> 00:46:54,579
In killer whale society,
as in our own,

359
00:46:54,614 --> 00:46:58,180
identity is defined by
whom you mix with.

360
00:47:02,620 --> 00:47:06,340
Whales from different backgrounds
behave differently.

361
00:47:07,859 --> 00:47:12,460
There is no
Jekyll and Hyde personality.

362
00:47:25,660 --> 00:47:32,060
It seems the gentle Shamu IS
different from the mammal hunters
of the open ocean.

363
00:47:32,095 --> 00:47:39,020
A marine mammal
that shares a great deal in common
with her human admirers.

364
00:47:39,055 --> 00:47:41,779
A whale with a culture.

365
00:48:04,539 --> 00:48:08,539
Subtitles by Gillian Clarke
BBC Broadcast 2003

366
00:48:08,574 --> 00:48:12,539
E- mail us at subtitling@bbc. co. uk