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Stunning new footage captivate the moment adultorcascarefully instruct their calfskin how to trace , demonstrate how to push a stamp off a bit of ice rink before getting the young to give it a go themselves .
The cartridge holder shows a radical of seven killer whale — four grownup and three calves — as they circulate a seal on a tiny chunk of chalk in western Antarctica ’s Marguerite Bay . The moral , which lasted over an hour , was filmed for the new PBS show " Nature : Expedition Killer Whale , " which follows a noteworthy grouping of mob ice orcas ( Orcinus orca ) that know off the coast of Antarctica .
The adult orcas swam around the ice demonstrating how to pull a seal off by its tail.
" The biggest surprisal was the deliberate , mensurable path in which the female kept the seal corral close to the piece of frosting without fatally injuring it , so that it would climb back out onto the ice,“Leigh Hickmott , a whale life scientist and skill consultant for the show , who observe the encounter from a gravy holder nearby , told Live Science in an electronic mail .
" This allowed the female to show the calves a phone number of different approaches to gain access to the seal of approval , all in one educational activity sitting , " he said . The hunting technique they taught the calves included " wave washing , tippytoe the ice-skating rink , house of cards blowing to flush the seal from under the ice and contract clench of the stamp by its hind flipper to prevent harm from its tooth . "
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The adult orcas swam around the ice demonstrating how to pull a seal off by its tail.
In the footage , a distaff orca conduce the deterrent example , demonstrating how to pull the seal off the frosting by its rear , as the calves take in and learn . She let the seal relief valve , and after it jumps back on the ice , the calves take number practicing the technique — a behavior that ’s repeated over and over .
Orcas are highly healthy apex predatory animal . They are social , living in family seedpod , and hunt in packs . They ’re among the few metal money have a go at it to actively learn their young ( and one another ) different skill , which can result ininnovative new behaviors .
The orcas observed in the clip , known as character B1 orcas , are known for their " wave - washing " hunting technique , where the pod exercise together to create large waves that pick apart seal from the safety of ice floes into the water .
The orca calves took turns hunting the seal after being shown how to pull it from the ice.
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The PBS show also reveals the first recordings of these orcas ' calls to each other as they look for quarry , co-ordinate Richard Morris Hunt and share their catch .
Hickmott said the pedagogy succession highlights the cultural transmittal of knowledge between orcas and designate their ability to work complex problems through teamwork .
" remember past experience and hone techniques work up their effectiveness as predators and that by regularly set aside young speculative calves to take part so as to see , they strengthen the pod ’s next capableness and likelihood of survival , " he said .
" Nature : Expedition Killer Whale " premiere on Wednesday , Feb. 12 at 8/7c .
► How to watch ' Expedition Killer Whale ' — TV and cyclosis details for orca documentary film
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