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Themelin, M., Manitzas Hill, H. M., Robeck, T., Felice, M., & Dudzinski, K. M. (2026). Inter-individual social exchanges in a group of ex situ killer whales. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 13(4), 407-421.  https://doi.org/10.26451/abc.13.04.05.2026

Although knowledge about killer whale (Orcinus orca) distribution, population structure, and foraging habits is quite extensive, data regarding their social behaviors, inter-individual exchanges, or relationship building and maintenance are critically lacking. This shortage can be partially explained by the challenges of observing such behaviors in the wild, thus managed care (ex situ) facilities offer a unique vantage to see inter-individual exchanges in greater detail. Here, we preliminarily examine the social behaviors of 8 ex situ killer whales from the surface perspective using scan sample data from a long-term study. Each behavior (e.g., cross swims, pair swims, object play, beak-to-genital interactions) was classified into three identified social subcategories (interaction, duo swim, group swim) and detailed descriptions for some inter-individual exchanges observed are provided. The goal of this paper is to provide a basis for future studies on killer whale social interactions, putting our observations into perspective for what is known about killer whales but also for other delphinid species as similar data for in situ killer whale are not yet available. Thus, a direct comparison between in situ and ex situ observations is not provided here but will be the focus of a future paper. Our results highlight the paucity of data on killer whale social exchanges and the importance of longitudinal studies of both ex situ and in situ populations to better understand the intricacies of killer whale societies specifically and delphinids more generally.

Killer whale, Orcinus orca, Social behavior, Sociality, Individual interactions, Managed care