Table 4.
Observations and information on killer whale attacks on narwhals | Region | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Foxe Basin* | Hudson Bay | North Baffin | South Baffin | Total | |
Interviewees reporting first-hand observations | 5 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 24 |
Interviewees reporting second-hand observations and stories | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
Interviewees providing descriptions of attacks and attack methods | 3 | 9 | 2 | 14 | |
Killer whales: | |||||
...herd narwhal to a suitable location with deep enough water, and circle to keep them stationary and prevent their escape | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
...tire out the narwhal prior to commencing an attack | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
...drown narwhal | 2 | 2 | |||
...ram narwhal "to break their ribs" | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||
...bite narwhal in the middle of the body, carry them in their mouth | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | |
...throw narwhal into the air, hit them with their tail and play with them, tear them apart and throw the pieces around | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | |
...leave lots of oil and scraps of blubber on the water | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
Interviewees reporting dead narwhals that were killed by killer whales | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 | |
Interviewees providing descriptions of dead narwhals | 2 | 6 | 6 | 14 | |
Hunters find dead narwhals: | |||||
...that are all busted up, with broken ribs | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
...that are covered with bite marks, with chunks and pieces missing | 5 | 3 | 8 | ||
...that are killed but not eaten, killed for fun | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
...that are being scavenged by birds | 1 | 1 | |||
...that meat and maqtaq can be collected from | 3 | 3 |
* five Foxe Basin interviewees observed attacks on narwhal, but most occurred in other areas (Admiralty Inlet, 1; Pond Inlet, 1; Lyon Inlet, 2)