Complex social lives of orcas revealed by drone observations

Orcas have complex social structures that include close friendships, a study that used drones to film the animals suggests. The marine mammals – also known as killer whales – live in groups of related individuals called pods, which have their own distinct cultures. The new findings show each orca spends more time interacting with certain individuals in their pod, and they tend to favour those of the same sex and similar age. But as they get older, whales appear to grow apart, according to research led by the University of Exeter, UK, and the Center for Whale Research, Washington. "Until now, research on killer whale social networks has relied on seeing the whales when they surface, and recording which whales are together," said Michael Weiss at the University of Exeter, the study's lead author.