Subject: Orcas - do they mate for life
Dagmar Fertl (Dagmar_Fertl@mms.gov)
Mon, 4 Jan 1999 13:18:44 -0500
Subject: ORCAS
Author: THOMASHOUSE@webtv.net (Matthew Thomas) at ~smtp
Date: 1/1/99 11:54 PM
IT HAS BEEN LONG AGREED UPON THAT MALE ORCAS STAY WITH THEIR MOTHER'S
FOR LIFE. DO THEY ALSO MATE FOR LIFE? I BELIEVE THAT MANY YEARS AGO
IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THEY MATED FOR LIFE. PERHAPS BECAUSE THE MALES
WERE ALWAYS SEEN TRAVELING WITH THE SAME FEMALES. WITH LONG TERM
RESEARCH AND IDENTIFACTION, I SUPPOSE NOW WE REALIZE THAT THESE
FEMALES WERE ACTUALLY THEIR MOTHERS. HOWEVER, ARE WE CERTAIN THAT
THEY MATE FOR LIFE? THANK YOU, BRANDY THOMAS
From the Thomas Home
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
To the Thomas Home. None of the whales mate for life; for that
matter, very few mammals mate for life. I don't know if it was
thought that killer whales (orcas) mated for life. The fathers do not
help to raise the babies.
You obviously know a lot about killer whales, which is really great.
There is a really great book on killer whales from Voyageur Press that
was printed a few years ago, written by Sara and Jim Heimlich-Boran
(two killer whale researchers) that you might want to check out, if
you haven't done so already.
Thanks for sending me a question!
Dagmar