0:00:25 > 0:00:26The killer whale.
0:00:30 > 0:00:36For thousands of years it was feared as a single-minded, ruthless hunter.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44But in just half a century, killer whales have emerged
0:00:44 > 0:00:48as the most popular and most studied marine mammals in the world.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Our understanding of what they can do,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57and why they do it, has been transformed.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04When it comes to killer whales, not everything is black and white.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11A global investigation is producing a series of breakthroughs.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13It's on!
0:01:13 > 0:01:17- It's on, it's on.- Got that one. It's a great sample!
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Using a range of techniques, scientists can enter
0:01:20 > 0:01:24the lives of these surprisingly complex creatures.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28It's a very selfless behaviour.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31OK. She's coming back around.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34They're revealing sophisticated teamwork...
0:01:38 > 0:01:41..incredible ingenuity...
0:01:43 > 0:01:46..even an advanced form of communication.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49I stumbled into the existence of a dialect system that
0:01:49 > 0:01:51I really had no idea existed.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Now, the very latest research
0:01:55 > 0:01:57challenges our fundamental assumptions
0:01:57 > 0:01:59about what these animals are.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04There's not just THE killer whale anymore.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Finally, the killer whale's true colours can be revealed.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31The west coast of America.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Grey whales are migrating towards distant feeding grounds.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42A mother escorts her calf, trying to keep a low profile.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53But a pack of killers has spotted them.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Seven metres long, five tonnes in weight and travelling at over
0:03:01 > 0:03:0630 miles an hour, a single killer whale is a formidable foe.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Working as a team, they're almost invincible.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36The grey whale mother is six times the killer whales' weight.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39But like wolves, the ocean's top predators
0:03:39 > 0:03:42can take on creatures far larger than themselves.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50They take it in turns to dunk the youngster.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52They're trying to drown it.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Others fend off its mother.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13She tries to push her baby to the surface.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17But against this co-ordinated pack, the outcome is inevitable.
0:04:24 > 0:04:25In 1874, a whaling captain
0:04:25 > 0:04:29who witnessed these "whale killers" in action
0:04:29 > 0:04:32described them as "spreading death and terror".
0:04:34 > 0:04:37And so the name "killer whale" was born.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Bloody tales long haunted the human mind.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57The Roman writer Pliny described them
0:04:57 > 0:04:59as "loathsome, pig-eyed" assassins.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Even their scientific name, Orcinus orca,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11means "whale from the realms of the dead".
0:05:16 > 0:05:18But in 1964, a chance event
0:05:18 > 0:05:23that would change this fearsome reputation forever.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29One of these terrifying sea monsters was
0:05:29 > 0:05:32brought into captivity for the first time.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39For John Ford, today a leading killer whale scientist,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41this would make a deep impression.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46The intention of the Vancouver Aquarium was to collect
0:05:46 > 0:05:50a specimen from which to make a realistic model of the animal.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53But the animal wasn't killed by the harpoon
0:05:53 > 0:05:57that they had used to capture it, and so they tried to keep it alive.
0:05:57 > 0:05:58They dragged it 40 miles
0:05:58 > 0:06:02to a specially constructed pen in Vancouver harbour,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04where it attracted huge crowds.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13My father took me down there, I guess I was nine years old at the time.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16And it was extremely thrilling seeing this
0:06:16 > 0:06:20large, scary killer whale in a captive setting.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25The public quickly realised how placid this so-called killer
0:06:25 > 0:06:27actually was.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28It dispelled, I think,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31a lot of the mythology, in that it wasn't a ferocious animal -
0:06:31 > 0:06:34it didn't attack people, it responded well to trainers,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36it took fish readily from their hands -
0:06:36 > 0:06:38and so I think that was the very beginning
0:06:38 > 0:06:41of the change of public attitude towards this species.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45They christened it "Moby Doll".
0:06:45 > 0:06:51And they noticed for the first time that this animal talked.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54She's making various sounds, which you're recording.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- Could you give us a listen to these? - Yes, certainly.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00These were made with a hydrophone in the water.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02WHISTLES AND SQUEAKS
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Have you any idea just what these noises might be in response to?
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Oh, they may be curiosity on the part of the whale, they might be
0:07:14 > 0:07:19a sign of nervousness, or she may be calling for others of her kind.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22I gather it will be some time before you classify these words
0:07:22 > 0:07:26- and make this dictionary, which you hope to do eventually.- Yes, it will.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32This pioneering work was the first step on the road to revealing
0:07:32 > 0:07:34the killer whale's true nature.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45And by the time Moby Doll died of poor health after just 87 days,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49this single killer whale had inspired a generation
0:07:49 > 0:07:50to find out more.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00The discovery of unique markings on the dorsal fin
0:08:00 > 0:08:05and saddle patch meant individuals could be identified and followed.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10Gradually, scientists began to unravel their private lives.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13The largest of the dolphins, killer whales live in family pods,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17led not by the big-finned males, but by a matriarch.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Females reach maturity at around 14 years
0:08:23 > 0:08:26and have a calf around every three.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Both sexes usually remain with their families for life.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38Determined to find out more, a young John Ford set out to sea.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46In the early '70s, he got to know 16 pods living around Vancouver Island.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52I was really interested in underwater acoustics,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54the communication of these whales.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58I realised this was an opportunity to actually go out
0:08:58 > 0:09:01and record identified groups of killer whales.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Often they come under and investigate the hydrophone underwater.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Oh! Looks like A39.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Hoping to understand their language,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15John started to analyse each family's calls.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Ah, there it is again, it's a really strong,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23descending tone that... HE WHISTLES ..is classically H.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27But he was in for a surprise.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Very early in this work,
0:09:31 > 0:09:36by recording different groups I...stumbled into the existence
0:09:36 > 0:09:39of a dialect system that I really had no idea existed.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43These dialects aren't subtle, they're quite striking to the ear,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45even the untrained ear.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50With modern technology, John can analyse the calls more closely.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56This is an example right here of a northern resident group.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Each individual shares the same repertoire
0:10:02 > 0:10:04of very distinctive calls.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Now, we'll just switch to the southern residents,
0:10:08 > 0:10:13here, you can see immediately that the voice print,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16the spectrograms, are quite different between the two samples.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Each killer whale pod has its own dialect,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25allowing individuals to recognise family members,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27and stick with them for life.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Related families have similar dialects.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38What surprised John was finding a totally different language
0:10:38 > 0:10:40in the same Canadian waters.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45Occasionally, we would run into a different kind of killer whale.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48These little groups were very silent, but when they DID vocalise
0:10:48 > 0:10:53they made sounds that were entirely different from the resident groups.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Because they only appeared from time to time,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01these pods were nicknamed "transients".
0:11:05 > 0:11:10Unlike the residents John knew so well, they had no interest in fish.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15They were mammal eaters.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25For a single killer whale,
0:11:25 > 0:11:30a three-metre, one-tonne Steller sea lion makes a formidable target.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47But against a pod of natural-born killers,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49this lone male stands little chance.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58The transients work together.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02One catches the sea lion's attention.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06The second attacks.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11She bludgeons the sea lion into submission.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33The sea lion looks beaten,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37but the killer whales know to stick to their strategy.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45There's no need to risk being bitten now.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53A calf watches from the sidelines,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57learning techniques passed down from generation to generation.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06It may seem savage, but it's hugely effective.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13The transients, it seems, have their own unique lifestyle,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15comparable to a human culture.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21We now realise that, even though the species is found globally,
0:13:21 > 0:13:26in most parts of the world they seem to be highly specialised cultures
0:13:26 > 0:13:29that are focused on different prey types.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39New Zealand's killer whale culture specialises in stingrays.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46The spines in their tails have been known to kill.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51But the local killers have found a way round this thorny problem.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57By inverting her victim, this female puts it in a trance
0:13:57 > 0:13:59and its sting out of action.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09In Patagonia, the most famous killer whale culture of them all.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00It takes years to perfect this extraordinary beaching technique.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07But behaviours like these mean this top predator
0:15:07 > 0:15:10can exploit every corner of the ocean.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18After man, killer whales are the most widespread mammal on Earth.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23But this global population is divided into at least ten cultures.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Scientists began to wonder how different these cultures were.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Could there be multiple subspecies
0:15:30 > 0:15:33or even separate species of killer whale?
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Southern California, just north of San Diego.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55The hub of a global investigation into killer whale genetics.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Phillip Morin is analysing DNA samples from around the world
0:16:02 > 0:16:06with the very latest equipment, to build a killer whale family tree.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12The new technologies have really changed the way we do genetics.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15We can sequence 16 times more DNA than we were doing before
0:16:15 > 0:16:18in a single experiment
0:16:18 > 0:16:19from hundreds of individuals.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29The key is to work out
0:16:29 > 0:16:32when different populations stopped inter-breeding.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36The genetics are showing us that the time of divergence of these
0:16:36 > 0:16:39is much deeper than we had thought originally.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41It's in the order of hundreds of thousands of years,
0:16:41 > 0:16:42not tens of thousands of years.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52We humans only split from our ancestors around 200,000 years ago.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57Killer whales parted ways much earlier than that.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02First to go, 700,000 years ago, were North America's mammal-eaters.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10Next, the Antarctic population. That then split into several groups.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Other cultures have continued to diversify ever since.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Defining new species is a contentious issue.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28But Phillip now thinks there could be four different species
0:17:28 > 0:17:30of killer whale, and maybe more.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35There's not just THE killer whale any more.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40There are different species out there, and they're as different
0:17:40 > 0:17:44as two species of dolphin or two species of other whales.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Look closely, and the physical differences are there.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Size...
0:17:52 > 0:17:54..colour...
0:17:55 > 0:17:57..fin shape...
0:17:58 > 0:18:00..saddle pattern...
0:18:02 > 0:18:03..eye spot.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13This extraordinary discovery shatters our age-old perception
0:18:13 > 0:18:15of one global killer whale.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Remarkably, there's a place
0:18:20 > 0:18:23where THREE of these proposed species live alongside each other.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Antarctica. The killer whale capital of the world.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46To find out how these different types coexist, John Durban
0:18:46 > 0:18:49and Bob Pitman are heading deep into the ice floes,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52with a very smart piece of kit.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55This is one of the satellite tags that we hope to deploy
0:18:55 > 0:18:57on the killer whales and it should give us
0:18:57 > 0:19:00location hits maybe up to 30 or 40 times a day.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02We hope at least every hour.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10It's cutting-edge technology.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13But it takes a centuries-old method to attach it.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15OK, she's coming back around.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22The 40 gram tag is barely registered by the massive predator.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Now, John and Bob can follow its every move.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38It's big. There's lots here, there's probably eight here.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43The tagged killer heads deep into the ice.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48She's one of the pack-ice killer whales,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51recognisable by ragged fins and a yellowish hue.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57They specialise in hunting seals.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13First, they "spy-hop" to pinpoint their targets.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18Then, in perfect synchrony, they create a powerful wave.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30The seals withstand the first assault.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50A second orchestrated attack.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00One makes a break for it.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04It won't get far.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29The titanic struggle is entering its final phase.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Only the iceberg can save the seal now.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Against lesser predators, the feisty seal would stand a chance.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59But not against this team of specialist seal killers.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28When the next species is tagged, striking differences are revealed.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Antarctic Type As.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Much darker in colour, and at nine metres long,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41a third larger than most other killer whales.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Their huge size is an adaptation to hunting whales.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55Minke whales.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Living along the ice edge,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09the minkes retreat at the first sign of danger.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14But one has ventured away from safety.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32The killers cut it off.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38This species uses stamina to wear down its fast-moving prey.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50The minke's only hope is to exhaust its attackers.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55But taking it in turns, the deadly entourage doesn't relent.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS
0:24:07 > 0:24:11After two hours, the minke's powers of fight and flight are waning.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15The whale killers close in to drown their victim.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21They've earned their feast.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29One by one, Bob and John are recording
0:24:29 > 0:24:31more and more remarkable strategies.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34PENGUIN SQUAWKS
0:24:34 > 0:24:37A third pod, much smaller in size.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41These more agile killers are built to catch penguins.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48And there are others, which Bob and John believe hunt fish.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57It seems that by specialising in different prey,
0:24:57 > 0:25:02each of Antarctica's killer whale species avoids competition.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03This enables them all to thrive.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13At least 25,000, or half the killer whales on the planet,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15inhabit these waters.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23But how do these new species start out?
0:25:27 > 0:25:29The answer lies at the other end of the earth...
0:25:31 > 0:25:33..where scientists are investigating a split
0:25:33 > 0:25:36in the North Atlantic killer whale population.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46In Iceland, Filipa Samarra and her team need to get within
0:25:46 > 0:25:48touching distance of a feeding killer whale...
0:25:50 > 0:25:54..so they can attach their equivalent of an aircraft black box.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59The D-tag has two hydrophones which
0:25:59 > 0:26:01basically record the sounds underwater.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03It records the movements of the whales
0:26:03 > 0:26:05and the depth that the whales are at.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08It has the suction cups, and that's how it goes on the whale,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11and it has this antenna, which helps us track where the whale is
0:26:11 > 0:26:13and get the tag back at the end.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Each killer whale needs a lot of fish
0:26:16 > 0:26:18to satisfy its monster appetite.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22This remarkable device should reveal how they do it.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Until now it's been thought that all North Atlantic killer whales
0:26:27 > 0:26:31use the same technique originally observed in Norway.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38First, the killers track down their prey
0:26:38 > 0:26:40- shoals of herring hiding in the depths.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44CLICKING
0:26:44 > 0:26:49They use clicks and listen for the echo. A sophisticated sonar.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55When one locates its target, it whistles its excitement.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01Then the pod heads down together, sometimes over 200 metres.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05KILLER WHALES WHISTLE
0:27:05 > 0:27:09It takes several hours to corral the herring up to the surface...
0:27:11 > 0:27:13..a natural barrier to escape.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Gradually, the killer whales panic their prey
0:27:21 > 0:27:22into tighter and tighter balls.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Finally, they whack them.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39They stun whole swathes of fish...
0:27:43 > 0:27:45..then suck up the oil-rich pickings.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48WHISTLING CONTINUES
0:27:56 > 0:27:59But in Iceland, there's no sign of herring being pushed to the surface.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06These hunters must have developed a new technique.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11There's only one way to find out.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Oh, we know this one, so that's good.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22But deploying the D-tag seems beyond Filipa's team.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28A change of personnel brings a change in fortune.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33First, a youngster.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38- It's on!- It's on, it's on! - Oh, my God.
0:28:44 > 0:28:45Then, a big male.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55- It's on, it's on.- He-he!
0:29:00 > 0:29:02Nice tagging, Ivan! That was great.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14To form a picture of what's happening in the dark depths,
0:29:14 > 0:29:16the team employs an acoustic camera.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21- OK, we have whales on sonar.- OK.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25Three whales.
0:29:25 > 0:29:26Three whales?
0:29:26 > 0:29:29This is a multi-beam sonar, which basically gives us
0:29:29 > 0:29:31an image of what's going on underwater
0:29:31 > 0:29:33so we can see the whales interacting with the fish.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36This tells us what the fish is doing when the whales are feeding.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41The team gathers data for the rest of the day.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Filipa can now put the evidence together.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02First, the multi-beam sonar.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05KILLER WHALES SQUEAK
0:30:05 > 0:30:09The sonar really works as a giant ultrasound, and you see
0:30:09 > 0:30:10that the whales are actually
0:30:10 > 0:30:13encircling the school of herring, so they're moving around it,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16and they do this to make the school tighter.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Then the D-tag reveals the killer information.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25Here we can see what depth they are going to,
0:30:25 > 0:30:28that the whales are moving quite straight,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30they're not making any sounds.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32But when they start moving in circles,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36we see that they go much deeper and they also produce a lot of sounds.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40One sound in particular catches Filipa's attention.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41You can hear it now.
0:30:41 > 0:30:42WHALE WHINES
0:30:45 > 0:30:48So this is the herding call, which is a very low-frequency
0:30:48 > 0:30:53and long call, and we think that it's really used to
0:30:53 > 0:30:55basically scare the herring, so it
0:30:55 > 0:30:57makes the swim bladder of the herring vibrate,
0:30:57 > 0:31:01and it makes the whole herring school bunch even tighter,
0:31:01 > 0:31:03which is a very effective hunting technique for these whales.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15Most North Atlantic killer whales take hours to herd up their prey...
0:31:22 > 0:31:24..but thanks to their unique "herding call",
0:31:24 > 0:31:27Iceland's killers do the same thing in minutes.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40This small innovation is hugely significant.
0:31:45 > 0:31:46It shows that the North Atlantic's
0:31:46 > 0:31:49fish-eating killer whales are growing apart.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55As more differences develop and populations become isolated,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58eventually a new species could emerge.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02The discovery of different kinds of killer whale
0:32:02 > 0:32:04has real implications for their conservation.
0:32:08 > 0:32:09Each is precious.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14None more so than the southern residents of Washington State.
0:32:19 > 0:32:2350 years ago, the public's fascination with Moby Doll
0:32:23 > 0:32:27lead to a huge demand for captive killer whales.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Trappers knew just where to look.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39In places just like this, from the early '60s,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41the resident killer whales were
0:32:41 > 0:32:43rounded up and captured
0:32:43 > 0:32:45for the aquarium industry.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50For Sam Wasser, the memories are still fresh.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Trappers used boats, helicopters
0:33:10 > 0:33:14and explosives to herd frightened animals into sheltered bays.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16KILLER WHALES SQUEAK
0:33:20 > 0:33:23It must have been horrific for these whales,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25because for one thing, killer whales are a predator,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29they're very, very intelligent and they're highly social organisms.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32And putting all those animals together and then ripping
0:33:32 > 0:33:34the young away from their mothers
0:33:34 > 0:33:37must have just been enormously stressful.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44MUSIC: "Goodbye Blue Sky" by Pink Floyd
0:33:46 > 0:33:51One of the real telltale signs of that is that in Penn Cove where one
0:33:51 > 0:33:55of the really big captures happened, those animals have not been back.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04By 1976, following a backlash from conservationists,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07the authorities called a halt to the round-ups.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10But the damage had been done.
0:34:16 > 0:34:21Four decades on, just 84 southern residents survive.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23And this number is falling.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29Sam wants to find out why.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39His main research tool is a far cry from the modern technology
0:34:39 > 0:34:40being used elsewhere.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Tucker, a rescue dog with a special talent.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52He's known as "The Pooper Snooper".
0:34:55 > 0:34:57OVER RADIO: We've got a super pod...
0:34:59 > 0:35:03..about four-and-a-half southwest of...
0:35:04 > 0:35:06Fantastic.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Sam has three theories for the killer whales' decline.
0:35:12 > 0:35:18Lack of food, a build-up of man-made chemicals
0:35:18 > 0:35:20and stress caused by whale-watching boats.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25Sam needs to find the smoking gun.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31But his methods are unconventional.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36When we first started, people thought we were crazy, but now
0:35:36 > 0:35:39they're taking it quite seriously, and they realise this is an
0:35:39 > 0:35:43incredibly powerful method and there's nothing like it.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47Tucker is an expert at sniffing out killer whale poo.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52Dogs are easily five times more efficient than a human.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54If you were just trying to do this without a dog,
0:35:54 > 0:35:56you'd have to be right behind the whale.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Killer whale faeces float, but not for long.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03TUCKER PANTS
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Tucker must be fully focused.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25When he senses his target,
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Tucker makes it clear where the boat has to go.
0:36:29 > 0:36:34- I see it, right there.- Bringing you around, Amanda.- Great. It's brown.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38Like about the size of a dollar. A paper dollar.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44Nice one over here. Oh, huge one, Giles, go straight.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49Huge! Who, look at that. I got it there.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Got that one. Got it. Good, it's a great sample.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59All in a day's work for The Pooper Snooper.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01That's a good boy, buddy, good job!
0:37:01 > 0:37:06The whole trick to this method is to find these dogs that are
0:37:06 > 0:37:09so obsessed with their ball that he will just keep working
0:37:09 > 0:37:14all day long, nonstop, for this ball reward.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Well done. Ooh, awesome.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Woo-hoo, that is a stinky!
0:37:21 > 0:37:22Doesn't get better than that.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26The stinky samples contain incredible information.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28We can get a whole health profile from the animal.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31We can get, you know, its psychological stress state,
0:37:31 > 0:37:35its nutritional stress state, its reproductive condition,
0:37:35 > 0:37:38if it's pregnant or not, what the toxin loads are -
0:37:38 > 0:37:40and you can tie all of that to the
0:37:40 > 0:37:44time of the year that we're collecting the samples and what the conditions are -
0:37:44 > 0:37:45how much fish are around,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48how many boats are around, so it's pretty remarkable really.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Sam has discovered that the southern residents are starving.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Over-fishing and the damming of breeding rivers
0:38:00 > 0:38:03mean their salmon prey are in short supply.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07As a result, their stress hormones soar,
0:38:07 > 0:38:09and they break down their body fat.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17This releases DDT and other toxins into the bloodstream.
0:38:19 > 0:38:20It's enough to kill a whale.
0:38:25 > 0:38:26But that's not all.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32During the captures in the '60s and '70s, almost an entire generation
0:38:32 > 0:38:36was removed, leaving few animals of breeding age today.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38They haven't been breeding that well
0:38:38 > 0:38:45and two of the three pods have been producing nothing but males -
0:38:45 > 0:38:49the last 13 births, 11 of them have been male.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53The reason that they're making more males could be chance,
0:38:53 > 0:38:57but sometimes with inbreeding you tend to produce more males.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02But killer whales are resilient animals.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08These large mammals that have a long generation time,
0:39:08 > 0:39:10they can recover.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14We just have to make sure that they have the ability to recover
0:39:14 > 0:39:16and that means having good food,
0:39:16 > 0:39:18having a clean environment to live in
0:39:18 > 0:39:21and reducing their stress loads.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27The southern residents will need human help to survive.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32But a recent finding suggests that killer whales
0:39:32 > 0:39:34can learn to help themselves.
0:39:46 > 0:39:47In the Falkland Islands,
0:39:47 > 0:39:52the elephant seals are wise to the predators lurking just offshore.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58They won't leave the safety of the beach
0:39:58 > 0:40:00until it's absolutely necessary.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08As a result, few killer whales patrol these shores.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14But recently it was discovered that one female
0:40:14 > 0:40:18has found a way to unlock this rich source of food.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Silently,
0:40:25 > 0:40:26stealthily,
0:40:26 > 0:40:30she risks it all to enter a tidal pool.
0:40:31 > 0:40:37Her calf follows her every move, learning her unique technique.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53If she gets the timing wrong,
0:40:53 > 0:40:55she'll be stranded and die.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00But if she can sneak in unnoticed,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02the rewards will be worth the risk.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15The female spots her target.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18The tide is falling, she doesn't have long.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23She edges further into the pool.
0:41:32 > 0:41:33This is her chance.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Now, with a mouth full of floundering seal,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48she must escape the shallow channel.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05She's made it.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10Amazingly, she won't keep her prize to herself.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17It's the rest of her family that reaps the reward.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32It's a brutal end for the young seal.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40But this selfless behaviour is key to this family's survival.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49And there's new evidence that this commitment to others
0:42:49 > 0:42:51goes beyond what we've ever expected.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03It's summer in the Norwegian Arctic.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11German biologist Heike Vester has made a remarkable discovery.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23She and her assistant Madita have found a family
0:43:23 > 0:43:27that takes caring and sharing to a level rarely seen
0:43:27 > 0:43:28in the animal kingdom.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31And here is one.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33Hello.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35That's the female with the nick!
0:43:38 > 0:43:40It's very easy to recognise.
0:43:40 > 0:43:46And she has a calf, so she might be nursing the calf.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49You can see that she's being pushed from below.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52There is the calf! So she was nursing the calf.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54Very nice.
0:43:56 > 0:44:01Like all killer whale families, this one is led by a matriarch.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05But one pod member sets this family apart.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08It's a female. Stumpy...
0:44:08 > 0:44:11Oh. Got Stumpy over here.
0:44:11 > 0:44:12Right there, see?
0:44:15 > 0:44:19Stumpy's severed fin means she's easily identified.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24First spotted in 1996,
0:44:24 > 0:44:27people assumed she'd been hit by a boat.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32Six years later,
0:44:32 > 0:44:33her mother had vanished
0:44:33 > 0:44:36and Stumpy had taken up with another pod.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42Since then she's been seen with four different families.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45I'm so happy to see her again
0:44:45 > 0:44:47because she's 17 years old now
0:44:47 > 0:44:49and she's really handicapped
0:44:49 > 0:44:52and she could not have survived by herself.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56To find out how she does survive,
0:44:56 > 0:44:58Heike wants to see Stumpy underwater.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01- There she is. - There she is, yeah.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06With the camera crew here, this is her chance.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17Oh, wow, I didn't expect that.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20It's really twisted.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26Now, from above, you only see
0:45:26 > 0:45:31the dorsal fin that's cut, but then now I could really see the back,
0:45:31 > 0:45:35and it really looks like it has problems swimming.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38The tail is restricted in movement.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41It doesn't really go all the way up and down.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49When she's struggling harder than the others,
0:45:49 > 0:45:52that means that she would use much more energy than the others would,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55so probably would need to feed more than the others,
0:45:55 > 0:45:58which she could not catch by herself.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09This could explain why Stumpy's growth has been stunted.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12To find out how she eats at all,
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Heike must witness a hunt.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25So we've stopped now because the killer whales are over there
0:46:25 > 0:46:27and it looks like they're foraging.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32What I'll do now, is put in the hydrophone
0:46:32 > 0:46:34and listen so that I know they are foraging,
0:46:34 > 0:46:38because if they do, they use echolocation clicks.
0:46:40 > 0:46:45Nearly 50 years after the first attempts to interpret Moby Doll's calls,
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Heike is still trying to unravel their language.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51RAPID CLICKING
0:46:51 > 0:46:53That means they are looking for fish,
0:46:53 > 0:46:55they're scanning the fjord.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59Their sophisticated sonar can determine the size
0:46:59 > 0:47:02and even species of fish nearby.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08Heike's found that this family targets mackerel and salmon.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15Stumpy seems keen to join in.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22And I listen out for any changes in their communication.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24Because as soon as they get a fish,
0:47:24 > 0:47:25especially a salmon,
0:47:25 > 0:47:27I will hear it immediately.
0:47:28 > 0:47:32Each species of fish provokes a different call.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34Ah! They are calling.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36Might be that they found a fish.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39HIGH-PITCHED CALLS
0:47:39 > 0:47:41Suddenly, action.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47Yay-yay - action!
0:47:48 > 0:47:50Whoa, next to us, on the left side.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55It's every killer whale for itself,
0:47:55 > 0:47:57chasing down the mackerel one by one.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02But the real surprise is Stumpy.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06Over there. It's the female and Stumpy, hunting together.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08WHALES SQUEAK
0:48:08 > 0:48:10She's right at the heart of it...
0:48:13 > 0:48:16..chasing not the fish, but the other killer whales.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23The six-metre female has caught a mackerel,
0:48:23 > 0:48:25barely 30 centimetres long.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28She could easily swallow it whole.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32Instead, she slices it in half and drops a share.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34Stumpy is there to grab it.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41Whether she's being deliberately fed
0:48:41 > 0:48:44or just scavenging scraps is hard to tell.
0:48:44 > 0:48:49But this shred of evidence must explain Stumpy's survival.
0:48:52 > 0:48:56But why would a family of killer whales adopt and care
0:48:56 > 0:48:58for a handicapped animal?
0:48:58 > 0:49:02The reason why the others would help Stumpy
0:49:02 > 0:49:05is probably purely social -
0:49:05 > 0:49:09that in such a community the whole group is important
0:49:09 > 0:49:11and not just individuals,
0:49:11 > 0:49:14so they wouldn't leave sick individuals behind.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16They'd rather take care of them.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24It's very selfless behaviour.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28This could be one example of the killer whales to show
0:49:28 > 0:49:31how social they are.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33But there's more to it than we know, right now,
0:49:33 > 0:49:35which makes it really, really exciting.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41Perhaps this should come as no surprise.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45Recent studies of killer whale brains have revealed
0:49:45 > 0:49:49specialised cells for processing emotions - similar to our own.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02Stumpy's story shows how far our understanding has come
0:50:02 > 0:50:05since Moby Doll first captured people's hearts.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20Captive killer whales still draw huge crowds.
0:50:32 > 0:50:36SeaWorld has grown into a three billion dollar franchise.
0:50:39 > 0:50:44But there's a price to pay for putting large, sociable predators
0:50:44 > 0:50:47in small, artificial environments.
0:50:47 > 0:50:51Since 1988, SeaWorld has recorded over a hundred incidents
0:50:51 > 0:50:54of aggression towards trainers
0:50:54 > 0:50:56and there have been four fatalities
0:50:56 > 0:50:58in theme parks across the globe.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03In contrast, no-one has ever been killed in the wild.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06Trainers aren't allowed in the pool any more.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12The capture of wild killer whales is now banned across the western world.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15But recently, an exception.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26A stranded calf rescued in Holland.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29The courts had three options - release her,
0:51:29 > 0:51:30put her down
0:51:30 > 0:51:32or bring her into captivity.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35The Dutch authorities decided the safest option was to move her
0:51:35 > 0:51:38to Tenerife's Loro Parque
0:51:38 > 0:51:40who agreed to look after her.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Heike has come to see this latest arrival.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47Good morning. Heike?
0:51:47 > 0:51:50'She believes it's related to her study animals in Norway,
0:51:50 > 0:51:54'and like Stumpy could be taken up by a wild pod.'
0:51:57 > 0:51:59Inside, I'm very nervous and quite upset
0:51:59 > 0:52:02so I have to calm myself down.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04Please, take your time. No problem.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10Heike's never seen captive killer whales before.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13KILLER WHALE SQUEAKS
0:52:17 > 0:52:19SQUEAKING INTENSIFIES
0:52:19 > 0:52:22Well, I would like to stay here and just get acquainted a little bit.
0:52:22 > 0:52:23OK.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26You know, I recognise the calls.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30- It's hard for me to...- OK. - ..to hear that. So...
0:52:31 > 0:52:34The calls of the new arrival - Morgan -
0:52:34 > 0:52:38at least partially match the dialect of a pod in Norway
0:52:38 > 0:52:40that Heike thinks could be her family.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44But despite a campaign to release her,
0:52:44 > 0:52:48Loro Parque will continue to look after Morgan
0:52:48 > 0:52:50as requested by the Dutch authorities.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53In the meantime, its trainers work hard
0:52:53 > 0:52:58to keep all their killer whales physically and mentally stimulated.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10But Morgan's keepers soon reported
0:53:10 > 0:53:13that she wasn't responding to their whistles.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17So Javier arranged for a hearing test.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28I have here the results.
0:53:29 > 0:53:34They found that she has hearing loss that could be even total.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39If Morgan is deaf, it could explain her stranding
0:53:39 > 0:53:41and support her remaining in captivity.
0:53:49 > 0:53:53This could mean a life in Loro Parque's Big Top.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59It's show time!
0:54:08 > 0:54:10The trainers do their best
0:54:10 > 0:54:12to put on a performance.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22Loro Parque believes the show makes a connection
0:54:22 > 0:54:23between people and animals,
0:54:23 > 0:54:26and every year they channel 100,000 euros
0:54:26 > 0:54:30into whale and dolphin research and conservation.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32For me, it doesn't match up.
0:54:32 > 0:54:37To keep such animals in captivity, for this?
0:54:37 > 0:54:40Sorry, it's not enough.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47So what about Morgan?
0:54:48 > 0:54:51Finding her suspected family again could be difficult
0:54:51 > 0:54:53and her deafness has to be considered,
0:54:53 > 0:54:56but Heike still feels there's hope.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00Seeing Stumpy this summer
0:55:00 > 0:55:05proved that even if we don't find Morgan's direct relatives
0:55:05 > 0:55:07and her family group
0:55:07 > 0:55:09that there's still a good chance
0:55:09 > 0:55:14that she will be taken care by other groups that are not related to her.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19Morgan's story reveals how our relationship with killer whales
0:55:19 > 0:55:21is still evolving.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24When we first had chimpanzees in captivity,
0:55:24 > 0:55:27we also made them do tricks,
0:55:27 > 0:55:29they had to wear clothes and so on -
0:55:29 > 0:55:32and now we learned, and they are in more natural groups,
0:55:32 > 0:55:34in a more natural environment.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36And I think we have to go this way
0:55:36 > 0:55:38because the captive animals that are there now,
0:55:38 > 0:55:41some of them cannot be released,
0:55:41 > 0:55:43so you have to find the best way possible
0:55:43 > 0:55:45for these animals to retire
0:55:45 > 0:55:48and make it as natural as possible.
0:55:54 > 0:55:59Captive killer whales have raised the profile of their kind,
0:55:59 > 0:56:02but their future is uncertain.
0:56:08 > 0:56:12In the time since Moby Doll first went on public display,
0:56:12 > 0:56:16our understanding of killer whales has changed beyond recognition.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25It's amazing today to look back when this study began
0:56:25 > 0:56:28and how little we knew about the species.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30We didn't really know what they ate,
0:56:30 > 0:56:32what their life cycle was like,
0:56:32 > 0:56:33their natural history,
0:56:33 > 0:56:36anything about their biology really. It was all mythology.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38These were just the scary,
0:56:38 > 0:56:41dangerous predators that were to be shot on sight.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45But with evidence gathered from across the globe,
0:56:45 > 0:56:50we now have a clear picture of the killer whale's true nature.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53They can be brutal...
0:57:00 > 0:57:02..intelligent...
0:57:04 > 0:57:06..and can work as a deadly team.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14The emergence of new species changes the way
0:57:14 > 0:57:18we look at killer whale populations across the world.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23While some are struggling to survive,
0:57:23 > 0:57:26others are finding ways to adapt.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33Interpreting their language is still a dream.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37I gather it'll be some time, then,
0:57:37 > 0:57:39before you can classify these words and make this dictionary
0:57:39 > 0:57:41- which you hope to do eventually. - Yes, it will.
0:57:44 > 0:57:48But the discovery of close families and diverse cultures
0:57:48 > 0:57:51means we can relate to killer whales more closely than to any other
0:57:51 > 0:57:53animal in the ocean.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59Maybe we're not the only ones that are social
0:57:59 > 0:58:03and take care of each other but that animals are more similar to us
0:58:03 > 0:58:05than we believed before.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11After a 50-year journey from fear to fascination,
0:58:11 > 0:58:14a new era of understanding
0:58:14 > 0:58:16is just beginning.
0:58:25 > 0:58:28Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd