Saedís, an orca, with a long-finned pilot whale calf by her side
orcaguardians.org
A long-finned pilot whale calf has been documented swimming behind the fin of a female killer whale – in “echelon”, or mother and calf position – for the first time. How the cross-species pair formed is unknown, leading researchers to wonder if the cub was adopted or abducted.
In August 2021, a whale-watching excursion near the Snaefellsnes peninsula in western Iceland spotted a pod of three killer whales with a surprise guest. Marie-Therese Mrusczok researching the nature of West Iceland…