Killer Tooth Ache

Dr Ingrid N. Visser · Issue 99, Nov/Dec 2017 · pp. 69–72

One of the holy grails for divers is to meet animals underwater and perhaps whales and dolphins are at the pinnacle of the wish list of ‘charismatic mega-fauna’. As a scientist I’ve been fortunate to spend time underwater with different species of cetaceans, the collective term for whales, dolphins and porpoises. My research specialty is orca (also known as killer whales) and as such I’ve had the chance to spend a lot of time with them in their ocean habitat. My studies focus on the foraging behaviour of orca, particularly around the New Zealand coastline where their main food is rays and sharks. I’ve documented hundreds of hunting events and recorded a range of prey species, some for as world-firsts for orca. Watching any animal hunt is always fascinating but watching orca hunt adds a whole other level of impressive to the experience. One of the things that always strikes me is their im…