Skip to main content
. 2012 Jan 30;8:3. doi: 10.1186/2046-9063-8-3

Table 3.

Summary of Inuit interviewee information and observations of killer whale attacks on bowhead whales, and observations of dead bowhead whales that were killed by killer whales.

Observations and information on killer whale attacks on bowhead whales Region
Foxe Basin Hudson Bay North Baffin South Baffin Total

Interviewees reporting first-hand observations 10 2 5 0 17

Interviewees reporting second-hand observations and stories 6 4 2 6 18

Interviewees providing descriptions of attacks and attack methods 10 4 3 4 21

Killer whales:

 ...circle the bowhead, to keep it from escaping while others attack 1 1 2

 ...hold the whale underwater and/or cover the blowhole, to drown it 8 2 2 12

 ...bite and hold on to the whale by the front flippers and/or tail flukes 5 1 2 8

 ...ram the whale in the side "to break ribs", and tear chunks out of the belly 5 2 2 4 13

Interviewees reporting dead bowhead whales that were killed by killer whales 16 1 5 22

Interviewees providing descriptions of dead bowheads 9 2 11

Hunters find dead bowhead whales:

 ...with killer whale teeth marks on the flippers, tail, belly, and baleen 3 2 5

 ...with large chunks torn out and their bellies ripped open 5 2 7

 ...that have broken bones, busted ribs 1 1

 ...that are fresh kills, still warm 3 3

 ...that are fresh enough for meat and muktuk to be collected from 2 2

 ...that were killed for fun and not eaten, wasted by the killer whales 4 4

 ...that are being scavenged by polar bears 1 1