Northern Pacific Killer Whales CommunicationScientists have found in the Northern Pacific Ocean two separate types of Killer Whales. The types are separated by what they prey on. The resident killer whales feed on fish and the transient killer feed on mammals and at times birds. These killer whales coexist in the wild throughout their entire life. These whales communicate regularly and have to keep their conversations private to avoid being overheard. The communication of killer whales is crucial to their survival. They both use whistles, pulsed signals, and echolocation to communicate.
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Resident Killer Whales |
These killer whales have a more complex system of communication than do the mammal eating whales. They use the pulsed signals to send discrete public messages with high intensity and are unique to each pod. Pulsed signals are extremely loud and can be heard over several kilometers, which are used to send long distance messages. Echolocation is used for navigating and prey detection. The whistles are also sent at a high frequency 2-17 kHz, while the Atlantic Whales have been registered in a range of 17-75 kHz.
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Transient Killer Whales |
They remain mostly silent, trying not to disturb the water while searching for prey. They produce most of their noise after killing their prey or while eating it. The whales do not change the way they communicate but just remain quieter than the resident killer whales. They use pulsed signals for most of their communication and are similar to other groups. These signals may be heard by prey but the prey act as if predators are not near by. The social structure of the transient killer whales is much more flexible and lenient. The whistles are used for social signals and the echolocation is used for navigation.
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