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Aquatic Mammals 2003 291 150ndash172
New observations and a review of killer whale (Orcinus orca)sightings in Papua New Guinea waters
Ingrid N Visser1 and Frank J Bonoccorso2
1Orca Research Trust PO Box 1233 Whangarei New Zealand2National Museum amp Art Gallery PO Box 5560 Boroko NCD Papua New Guinea
Abstract
Although typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales (or orca) (Orcinus orca)have been reported intermittently in tropical watersWhile the IUCN (IUCN 2000) does not list thespecies as present in Papua New Guinea watersthe records presented here indicate it is found inthe area for at least 10 months of the year A totalof 94 sightings of killer whales in Papua NewGuinea waters were complied Thirty-seven sight-ings from April 1987 to July 2002 were recordedwith an exact date and location with a further 57sightings of unknown date or exact locationTwenty-seven of all records had either photographsor videotape to con rm species identi cation Theearliest reference to killer whales in this region wasfrom 1956 when they were recorded taking sh oVlong-lines Killer whales from Papua New Guineawaters have been observed feeding on four speciesof elasmobranchs (scalloped-hammerhead sharkSphyrna lewini grey reef shark Carcharhinusamblyrhynchos manta ray Manta birostris andblue-spotted ray Dasyatis kuhlii) and four speciesof n- sh (yellow- n tuna Thunnus albacares big-eye tuna Thunnus obesus Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus and sun sh Mola mola)These are the rst records worldwide of killerwhales feeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharksgrey reef sharks and blue-spotted rays Killerwhales in these waters have been reported in associ-ation with two species of cetaceans (sperm whalesPhyseter macrocephalus and spinner dolphinsStenella longirostris) Photo-identication imageswere collected for 14 individuals and a catalogueestablished Matches were made for two animalsmdashafemale sighted approximately 30 n mi and two daysapart and a sub-adult male sighted in the sameregion 16 months apart Some individual killerwhales from these waters have been observed withgrey under-ukes in contrast to white which istypically described for this species
Key words Killer whale Orcinus orca Papua NewGuinea photo-identication foraging elasmo-branches n- sh
Introduction
The status of Papua New Guinea cetaceans islargely unknown The only systematic study ofspecies or individuals within a species was con-ducted in 2001 targeting sperm whales (Physetermacrocephalus) (Bonoccorso unpublished data)Munday (1994) compiled anecdotal information oncetaceans in the Kimbe Bay area (New BritainIsland Papua New Guinea) for a lsquoRapid EcologicalAssessmentrsquo and noted that Orcinus orca had beenobserved However only approximate timings ofsightings by month or year were given and onlygeneral locations were stated In addition althoughkiller whales were listed as lsquouncommonrsquo no quan-ti cation was given for this classi cation (Munday1994) Although the IUCN Red Data List (IUCN2000) does not list killer whales as present in PapuaNew Guinean waters they are known to occurintermittently in the area (Cousteau amp Richards1989 Munday 1994)
Therefore following Aragones et al (1997) whosuggest an order of procedures for cetaceanresearch in developing countries (ie interviewsfollowed by actual surveys) a preliminary KimbeBay Cetacean Research Project was instigated inApril 2002 Over a 13-day period six species wererecorded including killer whales (Visser 2002a)Details from that survey along with other recordsof the species in Papua New Guinea waters arepresented here
Materials and Methods
Records and anecdotal sightingsFor this paper scienti c manuscripts newspapersdive magazines books unpublished newsletters the
2003 EAAM
lsquoInternetrsquo anecdotal sightings and unpublisheddata were sourced for details of killer whale sight-ings Records were divided into two types lsquocom-pletersquo and lsquodata-decientrsquo For lsquocompletersquo recordsan exact date and an exact location was known(Table 1 Figure 1) whereas for lsquodata-de cientrsquorecords only a month or year was known or nodate at all and an exact location may not have beenknown Because uncertainty in dates could result inconfusion or replication of sightings without dateslsquodata-decientrsquo records were listed in a separatetable (Table 2 Figure 2)
Although species identi cation may be uncertainwhen suggested by non-specialists killer whales areconsidered one of the easiest species of marinemammal to identify at sea based on their sizepostocular white patch and the large dorsal ns on males (Heyning amp Dahlheim 1988) Inaddition many observations recorded here wereaccompanied by photographs or videotape or theobserver had multiple encounters with the specieseg M Benjamin and T Peluso (Table 1)
Photo-identi cationPhoto-identication uses photographs to recordindividual congenital andor acquired identi cationmarks (Hammond et al 1990) For killer whalesevery individual can be uniquely identi ed fromhigh-quality photographs (Baird 2000) The dorsal n is the main feature photographed because it isexposed above water most often (Bigg 1982) Somekiller whale research projects use photographs ofonly one side of the dorsal n eg in the Paci cNorth West (Ford amp Ellis 1999 Ford et al 1994)and Norway (T Similauml pers comm) Howeverwherever possible during this study both sides ofthe killer whales were photographed as pigmenta-tion patterns can diVer considerably on each side ofan animal (Leatherwood et al 1984 Visser ampMaumlkelaumlinen 2000) and a record of both sidescould improve the chances of subsequent matchesMoreover this allows photographs from the public(which may be taken of either side of an animal) tobe matched (Visser amp Maumlkelaumlinen 2000)
Killer whales can also be photo-identied by theirdistinctive saddle patches (Baird amp Stacey 1988Bigg 1982) eye patches (Visser amp Maumlkelaumlinen2000) pigmentation patterns on the underside ofthe tail (Visser 2000b) malformations (Berghan ampVisser 2000) scars from propellers (Visser 1999bVisser amp Fertl 2000) and other scars such as teethrake marks (Baird 2000 Visser 1998) Thereforephotographs (including underwater images) andvideotape illustrating any unique features werecollected
To catalogue the killer whales each animal wasassigned a unique consecutive number preceded bythe letters PNG signifying that it was identi ed in
Papua New Guinea waters ie PNG1 PNG2PNG3 etc This catalogue was compared to thenearest geographic population of killer whales forwhich an identi cation catalogue is held ie NewZealand
Agesex classi cationPhoto-identied killer whales were grouped byage and sex following Bigg (1982) and Bigget al (1990) These groupings were lsquoadult malersquolsquosub-adult malersquo lsquofemalersquo lsquojuvenilersquo lsquocalfrsquo andlsquounidenti edrsquo
Results
lsquoCompletersquo and lsquodata-decientrsquo sightingsNinety-four sightings of killer whales in Papua NewGuinea waters were complied Twenty-seven of allrecords had either photographs or videotape tocon rm species identi cation Table 1 lists thosesightings where exact date and location wereknown Of these lsquocompletersquo killer whale sightings(n=37) 567 come from the Kimbe Bay area(West New Britain Island)
Table 2 lists lsquodata-de cientrsquo sightings (n=57) forwhich exact dates or precise locations could not beestablished To enable future researchers access todata and clarity of the records all known lsquodata-de cientrsquo records are listed here However it ispossible that some records in Table 2 are duplicateseg sighting No 10 (Table 1) and sighting No 19(Table 2) both record killer whales at BradfordShoal Kimbe Bay in 1994 and both record forag-ing on a shark yet these sightings cannot con-clusively be shown to be either the same nordiVerent events
Sightings by month and yearRecords from Table 1 and 2 (lsquocompletersquo and lsquodata-de cientrsquo) were plotted by month where known(n=52) (Fig 3) The most sightings were recordedin April (n=15) followed by July (n=8) There wereno sightings recorded for January or February (Fig3) For a 15 year period (1987ndash2002) killer whaleshave been sighted each year (with the exception of1989 and 1990mdashTable 1)
Photo-identi cationAll killer whales photographed in Papua NewGuinea with high quality images were identi ableThe Papua New Guinea killer whale photo-identi cation catalogue is currently comprised ofdorsal n saddle-patch and eye-patch surfacephotographs and side-on full-body and partial-body underwater photographs (catalogue held byVisser) From these images 14 unique animals wereregistered in the catalogue (PNG1ndashPNG14) Ofthese two are adult males three are females one is
151Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le1
lsquoCom
plet
ersquore
cord
sof
sigh
ting
sof
kille
rw
hale
sin
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
aw
ater
s(e
xact
date
and
loca
tion
know
n)
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce(p
c=
pers
onal
com
mun
icat
ion)
123
Apr
il19
8716
00ndash1
730
hSu
sanrsquo
sR
eef
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)1
736
+S1
50)0
817
+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
App
roxi
mat
ely
15(1
adul
tm
ale
calv
es)
Spy-
hopp
edan
dlo
oked
atbo
at
Swim
mer
sen
tere
dth
ew
ater
and
the
kille
rw
hale
sap
proa
ched
wit
hin
15m
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
226
June
1988
atsu
nset
OV
Aun
aV
illag
eW
uvul
uIs
land
B
ism
ark
Arc
hipe
lago
01)4
497
+S1
42)4
895
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3(1
adul
tm
ale
2fe
mal
es)
Dor
sal
ns
silh
ouet
ted
inth
edi
stan
ce
C
Dav
is2
ampL
P
reze
lin3
pc
327
June
1988
0900
ndash190
0h
OV
Aun
aV
illag
eW
uvul
uIs
land
B
ism
ark
Arc
hipe
lago
01)4
497
+S1
42)4
895
+E
Und
erw
ater
and
surf
ace
vide
otap
ean
dun
derw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
3(1
adul
tm
ale
2fe
mal
es)
0900
hfo
ragi
ngon
a2
1m
man
tara
y16
00h
fora
ging
onth
ree
2ndash3
mgr
eyre
efsh
arks
Em
erge
dfr
omde
eper
on
ew
ith
am
anta
ray
upsi
de-d
own
and
fully
inta
ctin
its
mou
th
whi
chw
assh
aken
lsquot
orn
topi
eces
rsquoan
dea
ten
By
1600
hon
efe
mal
ean
dm
ale
kille
rw
hale
rem
aine
dT
hree
grey
reef
shar
ksw
ere
caug
htan
dea
chhe
ldal
ive
and
upsi
de-d
own
befo
rebe
ing
eate
nB
oth
the
mal
ean
dfe
mal
eca
ught
ash
ark
Cir
cled
the
isla
ndth
ree
tim
es
Adu
ltm
ale
had
lsquobul
gersquo
infr
ont
ofdo
rsal
nan
dgr
eyun
der-
uke
s
C
Dav
is2
ampL
P
reze
lin3
ampJ-
M
Cou
stea
u4p
c
47
July
1988
Les
sth
an1
kmoV
the
SWco
rner
ofW
uvul
uIs
land
B
ism
ark
Arc
hipe
lago
01)4
497
+S1
42)4
895
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2Sn
orke
lled
wit
hth
em
P
Mun
day5
pc
519
July
1988
OV
Wuv
ulu
Isla
nd
Bis
mar
kA
rchi
pela
go01
)44
97+S
142
)48
95+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Unk
now
nO
bser
ved
bype
ople
from
the
loca
lvi
llage
sP
M
unda
y5p
c
621
July
1988
OV
Wuv
ulu
Isla
nd
Bis
mar
kA
rchi
pela
go01
)44
97+S
142
)48
95+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Unk
now
nO
bser
ved
bype
ople
from
the
loca
lvi
llage
sP
M
unda
y5p
c
152 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce(p
c=
pers
onal
com
mun
icat
ion)
730
July
1988
OV
Wuv
ulu
Isla
nd
Bis
mar
kA
rchi
pela
go01
)44
97+S
142
)48
95+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Unk
now
nA
repo
rtfr
omlo
cal
peop
le
P
Mun
day5
pc
89
Apr
il19
9109
30h
2m
iles
oVW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)26
34+S
150
)05
22+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3(2
fem
ales
1
calf
)A
ppro
ache
dbo
at
Enc
ount
erte
rmin
ated
afte
r20
min
due
todi
vesc
hedu
le
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
912
Nov
embe
r19
9109
00ndash1
300
h
Res
torf
Isla
ndto
war
dsW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)17
30+S
150
)06
05+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
e5
(1ad
ult
mal
e1
sub-
adul
tm
ale)
Adu
ltm
ale
wit
hid
enti
cat
ion
feat
ure
(not
ch)
toti
pof
n
D
Egl
itis
6p
c
1025
May
1994
Bra
dfor
dSh
oals
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)09
42+S
150
)17
78+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phat
WP
R
3(1
fem
ale
1ca
lf
1un
know
n)F
orag
ing
onsc
allo
ped-
ham
mer
head
shar
k
Pho
togr
aph
show
sfe
mal
eki
ller
wha
le(o
rno
n-sp
rout
edm
ale)
wit
hpa
rtia
llyco
nsum
edsh
ark
drap
edov
ersn
out
Man
yoc
eani
csh
arks
inth
evi
cini
ty
Skin
ner
(199
4)G
Sk
inne
r7p
c
1124
July
1994
OV
WP
R
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
634
+S1
50)0
522
+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phat
WP
R
3(1
adul
tm
ale
1fe
mal
e1
calf
)P
hoto
grap
hla
belle
das
lsquoTam
myrsquo
sO
rcas
rsquoT
P
elus
o8amp
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
123
Aug
ust
1994
1500
ndash170
0h
Nea
rR
esto
rfIs
land
N
avar
aiP
assa
ge
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)1
969
+S1
50)0
358
+E
Dig
ital
lyen
hanc
edph
otog
raph
atW
PR
4(1
adul
tm
ale
2fe
mal
esan
d1
calf
)F
orag
ing
onIn
do-P
aci
csa
ilsh
whi
chap
pear
edto
lsquoexp
lode
rsquow
hen
hit
Wit
hth
eki
ller
wha
les
for
2h
Asa
ilsh
cam
eup
and
hid
unde
rth
ebo
at
The
visi
bilit
yw
aspo
or
Pho
togr
aph
labe
lled
inco
rrec
tly
asSe
ptem
ber
1994
Cza
rny
(199
4)M
C
zarn
y9amp
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
137
Apr
il19
9510
00ndash1
100
h15
mile
sou
tfr
omW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)26
30+S
150
)20
34+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1(a
dult
mal
e)A
ttem
pts
mad
eto
ente
rth
ew
ater
wit
hth
ean
imal
bu
tit
avoi
ded
the
boat
and
the
dive
rs
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
153Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce(p
c=
pers
onal
com
mun
icat
ion)
1410
July
1996
Bra
dfor
dSh
oals
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)09
42+S
150
)17
80+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
3B
owri
ding
T
P
elus
o8p
c
153
Dec
embe
r19
96In
side
Fir
stR
eef
oVW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)26
34+S
150
)05
22+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
3C
lose
appr
oach
esto
the
boat
So
me
swim
min
gup
side
-dow
n
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
166
Oct
ober
1997
1200
ndash143
0h
Chr
isti
nersquos
Ree
fth
ento
war
dsR
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)18
32+S
150
)07
35+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
At
leas
t20
Seen
inas
soci
atio
nw
ith
appr
oxim
atel
y12
sper
mw
hale
sin
clud
ing
calv
es
The
yap
pear
edto
behu
ntin
gth
esp
erm
wha
les
Squi
dpa
rts
oat
ing
inth
ew
ater
W
hen
seco
ndbo
atap
proa
ched
ki
ller
wha
les
split
oVfr
omsp
erm
wha
les
and
left
area
rapi
dly
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
ofth
esp
erm
wha
les
atW
PR
T
Pel
uso8
M
B
enja
min
1amp
M
Wes
tmor
land
10
pc
1710
July
1998
Bra
dfor
dSh
oals
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)09
419+
S15
0)17
759
+E
Und
erw
ater
vide
otap
e3
Bow
ridi
ng
One
anim
alha
dgr
ey-u
nder
uke
sT
P
elus
o8p
c
183
Oct
ober
1998
1030
ndash133
0h
Bra
dfor
dSh
oals
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)09
42+S
150
)17
76+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
atW
PR
8(2
adul
tm
ales
2
fem
ales
2
juve
nile
s2
calv
es)
Obs
erve
dun
derw
ater
from
the
lsquodol
phin
-net
srsquoof
the
boat
M
ales
wer
ese
para
tefr
omm
ain
grou
p
JJo
hnso
n11
pc
John
son
(199
9)
154 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce(p
c=
pers
onal
com
mun
icat
ion)
1919
Mar
ch19
99C
ape
Mat
anal
em
New
Han
over
(Lav
onga
i)Is
land
02)3
043
+S1
49)5
763
+E
3(1
adul
tm
ale
1fe
mal
e1
youn
gca
lf)
Fem
ale
and
calf
swam
dire
ctly
unde
rth
ebo
at
adul
tm
ale
rem
aine
dat
adi
stan
cefr
omth
ebo
at
Loc
alpe
ople
repo
rtth
isan
dot
her
grou
psto
bere
side
nts
H
Man
dui
ampG
Su
mm
erha
yes1
2
pc
206
Apr
il19
99K
asik
asi
Nor
man
byIs
land
10)1
243
+S1
61)0
335
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2Ju
mpi
ngou
tof
wav
esin
roug
hsu
rfco
ndit
ions
D
M
itch
el13
pc
2115
Apr
il19
99O
VW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)26
34+S
150
)05
22+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
e4ndash
5Su
b-ad
ult
mal
eha
dw
hite
patc
hon
righ
t-ha
ndsi
deof
dors
aln
T
Pel
uso8
ampP
M
anz1
4p
c
2224
Apr
il19
99St
eVen
Stra
it
SWof
Kav
ieng
N
ewIr
elan
dIs
land
02)4
167
+S1
50)3
879
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
4(1
adul
tm
ale
1ca
lfamp
2sm
alle
ran
imal
s)
Snor
kelle
dfo
rab
out
10m
inw
ith
them
and
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157Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
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Dat
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Tim
e
Loc
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nL
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158 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
a sub-adult male one is a juvenile two arecalves and ve are unclassi ed into any age or sexgrouping
Matches were made for two animals One afemale with a calf was sighted (13 April 2002) andphotographed (Fig 4) east of Cape HuessenerKimbe Bay (05)0151+S150)1169+E sightingNo 33 Table 1) and photographed again two dayslater to the north of Kimbe Village (05)2937+S150)0874+E sighting No 34 Table 1) Theselocations are approximately 30 n mi apart A sub-adult male with a distinctive white mark on theright-side of the top of the dorsal n was photo-graphed in the Kimbe Bay region approximately 16months apart however exact date and location forthe resighting were not available (sighting No 21Table 1 and sighting No 34 Table 2)
Two individuals were observed (one in a photo-graph and the other in a videotapemdashsighting No 3and No 17 Table 1 respectively) to have light greyunder- ukes (Visser 2002b) in comparison to the
typical white under- ukes described as diagnosticfor the species (Heyning amp Dahlheim 1988)
Group size and compositionGroup size varied from one to approximately 20individuals with the group sizes of three (n=15)of two (n=11) of one (n=9) and of ve (n=6)reported most often Calves were noted 16 times(Tables 1 and 2) Adult males were not recorded inall groups (Tables 1 and 2) and four sub-adultmales were noted (Tables 1 and 2)
Foraging behaviour and interactions with othercetaceansKiller whales in Papua New Guinea waters havebeen observed foraging on four species of elasmo-branchs four records of scalloped-hammerheadshark (Sphyrna lewini) (sightings No 10 and No33 Table 1 and sightings No 19 and 20 Table 2)three records of grey reef shark (Carcharhinusamblyrhynchos) (sighting No 3 Table 1) two
Figure 1 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoCompletersquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters (extractedfrom Table 1)
159Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
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orts
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edN
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orts
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orts
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ourh
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nea
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1956
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19
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orts
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edN
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ated
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edN
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ated
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ght
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Tab
le2
Con
tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
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oted
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No
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M
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jam
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Row
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1992
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Row
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161Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
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tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
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nL
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edIn
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orag
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Are
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A
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neor
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T
Row
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edO
neor
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ar
T
Row
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pc
23N
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1996
Nea
rIn
glis
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K
imbe
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New
Bri
tain
Isla
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)14
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No
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ogra
phs
2N
ofu
rthe
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stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
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ecem
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1996
Wes
tern
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Fol
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Res
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Tab
le2
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For
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hen
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He
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27M
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1997
Wit
uIs
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est
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Und
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phs
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edF
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Obs
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Gle
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G
lees
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Pri
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98L
ama
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nce
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No
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phs
3O
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ved
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Sta
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And
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n(1
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29A
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1988
Pan
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nth
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Tid
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JK
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27
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ber
1999
Mw
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K
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App
roxi
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ely
10T
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ared
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3119
99N
WN
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ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
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)15
42+S
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62+E
No
phot
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phs
2T
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Pro
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No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
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ssel
then
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ain
D
Mit
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163Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
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ampL
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Pho
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Num
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For
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Cap
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Cap
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N
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Not
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requ
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D
Mit
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K
imbe
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est
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M
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ber
2000
Rai
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st
Said
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Mad
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Pro
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146
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31+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
4ndash5
Seen
kille
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mes
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ing
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Inbo
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Lea
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3620
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Cha
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Boa
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Kill
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ting
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37M
arch
2001
Sout
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iller
ton
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23+S
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)39
51+E
No
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phs
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Com
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Lei
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Bet
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land
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imbe
Bay
W
est
New
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tain
Isla
nd05
)21
82+S
150
)27
89+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3C
lose
into
shor
e10
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rdo
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Pri
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Pro
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phs
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Lei
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Tab
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Con
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Dat
eamp
Tim
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Loc
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nL
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ampL
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tude
Pho
togr
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Num
ber
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)sa
wth
ean
imal
inth
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eof
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nds
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ilale
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ome
year
sag
orsquoM
anum
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nd
Nor
thof
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ang
04)0
371
5S
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065
15E
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phot
ogra
phs
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adul
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lf)
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de
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run
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ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
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)52
83+E
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ogra
phs
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ame
from
the
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ctio
nof
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ogel
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und
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epw
ater
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ilale
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pc
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pril
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
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02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
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)52
83+E
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phot
ogra
phs
2C
ame
from
the
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ctio
nof
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eV
ogel
B
D
isila
le34
pc
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nkno
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Rav
enC
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el
betw
een
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uaka
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M
ilne
Bay
10)1
500
+S1
50)5
605
+E
No
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ogra
phs
1H
eadi
ngto
war
dsN
orm
anby
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nd
follo
win
gth
ecu
rren
t
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Dis
ilale
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Star
Ree
fs
Lus
anca
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robr
iand
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nds
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951
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699
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ater
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ved
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FeB
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T
P
elus
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c
46U
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wn
Bag
abag
Isla
nd
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e04
)49
93+S
146
)19
49+E
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dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Stet
tin
Bay
(rec
ord
No
47
this
tabl
e)
Dis
tanc
ebe
twee
nis
am
inim
umof
350
km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
47U
nkno
wn
Stet
tin
Bay
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)23
71+S
150
)08
28+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
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beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Bag
abag
Isla
nd(r
ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
lsquoInternetrsquo anecdotal sightings and unpublisheddata were sourced for details of killer whale sight-ings Records were divided into two types lsquocom-pletersquo and lsquodata-decientrsquo For lsquocompletersquo recordsan exact date and an exact location was known(Table 1 Figure 1) whereas for lsquodata-de cientrsquorecords only a month or year was known or nodate at all and an exact location may not have beenknown Because uncertainty in dates could result inconfusion or replication of sightings without dateslsquodata-decientrsquo records were listed in a separatetable (Table 2 Figure 2)
Although species identi cation may be uncertainwhen suggested by non-specialists killer whales areconsidered one of the easiest species of marinemammal to identify at sea based on their sizepostocular white patch and the large dorsal ns on males (Heyning amp Dahlheim 1988) Inaddition many observations recorded here wereaccompanied by photographs or videotape or theobserver had multiple encounters with the specieseg M Benjamin and T Peluso (Table 1)
Photo-identi cationPhoto-identication uses photographs to recordindividual congenital andor acquired identi cationmarks (Hammond et al 1990) For killer whalesevery individual can be uniquely identi ed fromhigh-quality photographs (Baird 2000) The dorsal n is the main feature photographed because it isexposed above water most often (Bigg 1982) Somekiller whale research projects use photographs ofonly one side of the dorsal n eg in the Paci cNorth West (Ford amp Ellis 1999 Ford et al 1994)and Norway (T Similauml pers comm) Howeverwherever possible during this study both sides ofthe killer whales were photographed as pigmenta-tion patterns can diVer considerably on each side ofan animal (Leatherwood et al 1984 Visser ampMaumlkelaumlinen 2000) and a record of both sidescould improve the chances of subsequent matchesMoreover this allows photographs from the public(which may be taken of either side of an animal) tobe matched (Visser amp Maumlkelaumlinen 2000)
Killer whales can also be photo-identied by theirdistinctive saddle patches (Baird amp Stacey 1988Bigg 1982) eye patches (Visser amp Maumlkelaumlinen2000) pigmentation patterns on the underside ofthe tail (Visser 2000b) malformations (Berghan ampVisser 2000) scars from propellers (Visser 1999bVisser amp Fertl 2000) and other scars such as teethrake marks (Baird 2000 Visser 1998) Thereforephotographs (including underwater images) andvideotape illustrating any unique features werecollected
To catalogue the killer whales each animal wasassigned a unique consecutive number preceded bythe letters PNG signifying that it was identi ed in
Papua New Guinea waters ie PNG1 PNG2PNG3 etc This catalogue was compared to thenearest geographic population of killer whales forwhich an identi cation catalogue is held ie NewZealand
Agesex classi cationPhoto-identied killer whales were grouped byage and sex following Bigg (1982) and Bigget al (1990) These groupings were lsquoadult malersquolsquosub-adult malersquo lsquofemalersquo lsquojuvenilersquo lsquocalfrsquo andlsquounidenti edrsquo
Results
lsquoCompletersquo and lsquodata-decientrsquo sightingsNinety-four sightings of killer whales in Papua NewGuinea waters were complied Twenty-seven of allrecords had either photographs or videotape tocon rm species identi cation Table 1 lists thosesightings where exact date and location wereknown Of these lsquocompletersquo killer whale sightings(n=37) 567 come from the Kimbe Bay area(West New Britain Island)
Table 2 lists lsquodata-de cientrsquo sightings (n=57) forwhich exact dates or precise locations could not beestablished To enable future researchers access todata and clarity of the records all known lsquodata-de cientrsquo records are listed here However it ispossible that some records in Table 2 are duplicateseg sighting No 10 (Table 1) and sighting No 19(Table 2) both record killer whales at BradfordShoal Kimbe Bay in 1994 and both record forag-ing on a shark yet these sightings cannot con-clusively be shown to be either the same nordiVerent events
Sightings by month and yearRecords from Table 1 and 2 (lsquocompletersquo and lsquodata-de cientrsquo) were plotted by month where known(n=52) (Fig 3) The most sightings were recordedin April (n=15) followed by July (n=8) There wereno sightings recorded for January or February (Fig3) For a 15 year period (1987ndash2002) killer whaleshave been sighted each year (with the exception of1989 and 1990mdashTable 1)
Photo-identi cationAll killer whales photographed in Papua NewGuinea with high quality images were identi ableThe Papua New Guinea killer whale photo-identi cation catalogue is currently comprised ofdorsal n saddle-patch and eye-patch surfacephotographs and side-on full-body and partial-body underwater photographs (catalogue held byVisser) From these images 14 unique animals wereregistered in the catalogue (PNG1ndashPNG14) Ofthese two are adult males three are females one is
151Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le1
lsquoCom
plet
ersquore
cord
sof
sigh
ting
sof
kille
rw
hale
sin
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
aw
ater
s(e
xact
date
and
loca
tion
know
n)
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce(p
c=
pers
onal
com
mun
icat
ion)
123
Apr
il19
8716
00ndash1
730
hSu
sanrsquo
sR
eef
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)1
736
+S1
50)0
817
+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
App
roxi
mat
ely
15(1
adul
tm
ale
calv
es)
Spy-
hopp
edan
dlo
oked
atbo
at
Swim
mer
sen
tere
dth
ew
ater
and
the
kille
rw
hale
sap
proa
ched
wit
hin
15m
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
226
June
1988
atsu
nset
OV
Aun
aV
illag
eW
uvul
uIs
land
B
ism
ark
Arc
hipe
lago
01)4
497
+S1
42)4
895
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3(1
adul
tm
ale
2fe
mal
es)
Dor
sal
ns
silh
ouet
ted
inth
edi
stan
ce
C
Dav
is2
ampL
P
reze
lin3
pc
327
June
1988
0900
ndash190
0h
OV
Aun
aV
illag
eW
uvul
uIs
land
B
ism
ark
Arc
hipe
lago
01)4
497
+S1
42)4
895
+E
Und
erw
ater
and
surf
ace
vide
otap
ean
dun
derw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
3(1
adul
tm
ale
2fe
mal
es)
0900
hfo
ragi
ngon
a2
1m
man
tara
y16
00h
fora
ging
onth
ree
2ndash3
mgr
eyre
efsh
arks
Em
erge
dfr
omde
eper
on
ew
ith
am
anta
ray
upsi
de-d
own
and
fully
inta
ctin
its
mou
th
whi
chw
assh
aken
lsquot
orn
topi
eces
rsquoan
dea
ten
By
1600
hon
efe
mal
ean
dm
ale
kille
rw
hale
rem
aine
dT
hree
grey
reef
shar
ksw
ere
caug
htan
dea
chhe
ldal
ive
and
upsi
de-d
own
befo
rebe
ing
eate
nB
oth
the
mal
ean
dfe
mal
eca
ught
ash
ark
Cir
cled
the
isla
ndth
ree
tim
es
Adu
ltm
ale
had
lsquobul
gersquo
infr
ont
ofdo
rsal
nan
dgr
eyun
der-
uke
s
C
Dav
is2
ampL
P
reze
lin3
ampJ-
M
Cou
stea
u4p
c
47
July
1988
Les
sth
an1
kmoV
the
SWco
rner
ofW
uvul
uIs
land
B
ism
ark
Arc
hipe
lago
01)4
497
+S1
42)4
895
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2Sn
orke
lled
wit
hth
em
P
Mun
day5
pc
519
July
1988
OV
Wuv
ulu
Isla
nd
Bis
mar
kA
rchi
pela
go01
)44
97+S
142
)48
95+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Unk
now
nO
bser
ved
bype
ople
from
the
loca
lvi
llage
sP
M
unda
y5p
c
621
July
1988
OV
Wuv
ulu
Isla
nd
Bis
mar
kA
rchi
pela
go01
)44
97+S
142
)48
95+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Unk
now
nO
bser
ved
bype
ople
from
the
loca
lvi
llage
sP
M
unda
y5p
c
152 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce(p
c=
pers
onal
com
mun
icat
ion)
730
July
1988
OV
Wuv
ulu
Isla
nd
Bis
mar
kA
rchi
pela
go01
)44
97+S
142
)48
95+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Unk
now
nA
repo
rtfr
omlo
cal
peop
le
P
Mun
day5
pc
89
Apr
il19
9109
30h
2m
iles
oVW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)26
34+S
150
)05
22+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3(2
fem
ales
1
calf
)A
ppro
ache
dbo
at
Enc
ount
erte
rmin
ated
afte
r20
min
due
todi
vesc
hedu
le
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
912
Nov
embe
r19
9109
00ndash1
300
h
Res
torf
Isla
ndto
war
dsW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)17
30+S
150
)06
05+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
e5
(1ad
ult
mal
e1
sub-
adul
tm
ale)
Adu
ltm
ale
wit
hid
enti
cat
ion
feat
ure
(not
ch)
toti
pof
n
D
Egl
itis
6p
c
1025
May
1994
Bra
dfor
dSh
oals
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)09
42+S
150
)17
78+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phat
WP
R
3(1
fem
ale
1ca
lf
1un
know
n)F
orag
ing
onsc
allo
ped-
ham
mer
head
shar
k
Pho
togr
aph
show
sfe
mal
eki
ller
wha
le(o
rno
n-sp
rout
edm
ale)
wit
hpa
rtia
llyco
nsum
edsh
ark
drap
edov
ersn
out
Man
yoc
eani
csh
arks
inth
evi
cini
ty
Skin
ner
(199
4)G
Sk
inne
r7p
c
1124
July
1994
OV
WP
R
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
634
+S1
50)0
522
+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phat
WP
R
3(1
adul
tm
ale
1fe
mal
e1
calf
)P
hoto
grap
hla
belle
das
lsquoTam
myrsquo
sO
rcas
rsquoT
P
elus
o8amp
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
123
Aug
ust
1994
1500
ndash170
0h
Nea
rR
esto
rfIs
land
N
avar
aiP
assa
ge
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)1
969
+S1
50)0
358
+E
Dig
ital
lyen
hanc
edph
otog
raph
atW
PR
4(1
adul
tm
ale
2fe
mal
esan
d1
calf
)F
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ing
onIn
do-P
aci
csa
ilsh
whi
chap
pear
edto
lsquoexp
lode
rsquow
hen
hit
Wit
hth
eki
ller
wha
les
for
2h
Asa
ilsh
cam
eup
and
hid
unde
rth
ebo
at
The
visi
bilit
yw
aspo
or
Pho
togr
aph
labe
lled
inco
rrec
tly
asSe
ptem
ber
1994
Cza
rny
(199
4)M
C
zarn
y9amp
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
137
Apr
il19
9510
00ndash1
100
h15
mile
sou
tfr
omW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)26
30+S
150
)20
34+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1(a
dult
mal
e)A
ttem
pts
mad
eto
ente
rth
ew
ater
wit
hth
ean
imal
bu
tit
avoi
ded
the
boat
and
the
dive
rs
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
153Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce(p
c=
pers
onal
com
mun
icat
ion)
1410
July
1996
Bra
dfor
dSh
oals
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)09
42+S
150
)17
80+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
3B
owri
ding
T
P
elus
o8p
c
153
Dec
embe
r19
96In
side
Fir
stR
eef
oVW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)26
34+S
150
)05
22+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
3C
lose
appr
oach
esto
the
boat
So
me
swim
min
gup
side
-dow
n
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
166
Oct
ober
1997
1200
ndash143
0h
Chr
isti
nersquos
Ree
fth
ento
war
dsR
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)18
32+S
150
)07
35+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
At
leas
t20
Seen
inas
soci
atio
nw
ith
appr
oxim
atel
y12
sper
mw
hale
sin
clud
ing
calv
es
The
yap
pear
edto
behu
ntin
gth
esp
erm
wha
les
Squi
dpa
rts
oat
ing
inth
ew
ater
W
hen
seco
ndbo
atap
proa
ched
ki
ller
wha
les
split
oVfr
omsp
erm
wha
les
and
left
area
rapi
dly
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
ofth
esp
erm
wha
les
atW
PR
T
Pel
uso8
M
B
enja
min
1amp
M
Wes
tmor
land
10
pc
1710
July
1998
Bra
dfor
dSh
oals
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)09
419+
S15
0)17
759
+E
Und
erw
ater
vide
otap
e3
Bow
ridi
ng
One
anim
alha
dgr
ey-u
nder
uke
sT
P
elus
o8p
c
183
Oct
ober
1998
1030
ndash133
0h
Bra
dfor
dSh
oals
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)09
42+S
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Und
erw
ater
phot
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phs
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tm
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2
fem
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nile
s2
calv
es)
Obs
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dun
derw
ater
from
the
lsquodol
phin
-net
srsquoof
the
boat
M
ales
wer
ese
para
tefr
omm
ain
grou
p
JJo
hnso
n11
pc
John
son
(199
9)
154 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce(p
c=
pers
onal
com
mun
icat
ion)
1919
Mar
ch19
99C
ape
Mat
anal
em
New
Han
over
(Lav
onga
i)Is
land
02)3
043
+S1
49)5
763
+E
3(1
adul
tm
ale
1fe
mal
e1
youn
gca
lf)
Fem
ale
and
calf
swam
dire
ctly
unde
rth
ebo
at
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tm
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rem
aine
dat
adi
stan
cefr
omth
ebo
at
Loc
alpe
ople
repo
rtth
isan
dot
her
grou
psto
bere
side
nts
H
Man
dui
ampG
Su
mm
erha
yes1
2
pc
206
Apr
il19
99K
asik
asi
Nor
man
byIs
land
10)1
243
+S1
61)0
335
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2Ju
mpi
ngou
tof
wav
esin
roug
hsu
rfco
ndit
ions
D
M
itch
el13
pc
2115
Apr
il19
99O
VW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)26
34+S
150
)05
22+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
e4ndash
5Su
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ult
mal
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hon
righ
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deof
dors
aln
T
Pel
uso8
ampP
M
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4p
c
2224
Apr
il19
99St
eVen
Stra
it
SWof
Kav
ieng
N
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dIs
land
02)4
167
+S1
50)3
879
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
4(1
adul
tm
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1ca
lfamp
2sm
alle
ran
imal
s)
Snor
kelle
dfo
rab
out
10m
inw
ith
them
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157Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
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Dat
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Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
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158 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
a sub-adult male one is a juvenile two arecalves and ve are unclassi ed into any age or sexgrouping
Matches were made for two animals One afemale with a calf was sighted (13 April 2002) andphotographed (Fig 4) east of Cape HuessenerKimbe Bay (05)0151+S150)1169+E sightingNo 33 Table 1) and photographed again two dayslater to the north of Kimbe Village (05)2937+S150)0874+E sighting No 34 Table 1) Theselocations are approximately 30 n mi apart A sub-adult male with a distinctive white mark on theright-side of the top of the dorsal n was photo-graphed in the Kimbe Bay region approximately 16months apart however exact date and location forthe resighting were not available (sighting No 21Table 1 and sighting No 34 Table 2)
Two individuals were observed (one in a photo-graph and the other in a videotapemdashsighting No 3and No 17 Table 1 respectively) to have light greyunder- ukes (Visser 2002b) in comparison to the
typical white under- ukes described as diagnosticfor the species (Heyning amp Dahlheim 1988)
Group size and compositionGroup size varied from one to approximately 20individuals with the group sizes of three (n=15)of two (n=11) of one (n=9) and of ve (n=6)reported most often Calves were noted 16 times(Tables 1 and 2) Adult males were not recorded inall groups (Tables 1 and 2) and four sub-adultmales were noted (Tables 1 and 2)
Foraging behaviour and interactions with othercetaceansKiller whales in Papua New Guinea waters havebeen observed foraging on four species of elasmo-branchs four records of scalloped-hammerheadshark (Sphyrna lewini) (sightings No 10 and No33 Table 1 and sightings No 19 and 20 Table 2)three records of grey reef shark (Carcharhinusamblyrhynchos) (sighting No 3 Table 1) two
Figure 1 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoCompletersquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters (extractedfrom Table 1)
159Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
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orts
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ourh
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19
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orts
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Tab
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Con
tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
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oted
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No
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M
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Row
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Row
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161Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
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tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
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nL
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edIn
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orag
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Are
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T
Row
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edO
neor
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ar
T
Row
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1996
Nea
rIn
glis
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K
imbe
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New
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tain
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)14
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phs
2N
ofu
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ed
M
Ben
jam
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1996
Wes
tern
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Fol
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Res
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Tab
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For
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hen
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He
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27M
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1997
Wit
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Und
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phs
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edF
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Obs
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lees
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Pri
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ama
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nce
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No
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phs
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ved
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Sta
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And
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29A
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1988
Pan
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Tid
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JK
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27
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ber
1999
Mw
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K
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ely
10T
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ared
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99N
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ilne
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Pro
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62+E
No
phot
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phs
2T
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Pro
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No
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ogra
phs
1C
ame
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ssel
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ain
D
Mit
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163Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
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ampL
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Num
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For
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Not
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requ
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D
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imbe
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M
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ber
2000
Rai
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st
Said
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Mad
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Pro
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146
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31+E
No
phot
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phs
4ndash5
Seen
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Inbo
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Cha
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Kill
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ting
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37M
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2001
Sout
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iller
ton
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23+S
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No
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phs
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Bet
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imbe
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W
est
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tain
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82+S
150
)27
89+E
No
phot
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phs
3C
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into
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Pri
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phs
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Tab
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Con
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Dat
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Tim
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Loc
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nL
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ampL
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Pho
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Num
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SEse
ctor
)sa
wth
ean
imal
inth
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eof
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nds
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ilale
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pc
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ome
year
sag
orsquoM
anum
Isla
nd
Nor
thof
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ang
04)0
371
5S
145)
065
15E
No
phot
ogra
phs
5(1
adul
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ale
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lf)
Wit
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de
Wit
35
pc
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arch
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run
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ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
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)52
83+E
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ogra
phs
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ame
from
the
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ctio
nof
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ogel
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und
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epw
ater
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ilale
34
pc
43A
pril
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
B
D
isila
le34
pc
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nkno
wn
Rav
enC
hann
el
betw
een
Eas
tC
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ampN
uaka
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M
ilne
Bay
10)1
500
+S1
50)5
605
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1H
eadi
ngto
war
dsN
orm
anby
Isla
nd
follo
win
gth
ecu
rren
t
B
Dis
ilale
34
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wn
Star
Ree
fs
Lus
anca
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robr
iand
Isla
nds
08)1
951
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699
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Und
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ater
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eF
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ing
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ved
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FeB
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T
P
elus
o8p
c
46U
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wn
Bag
abag
Isla
nd
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e04
)49
93+S
146
)19
49+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Stet
tin
Bay
(rec
ord
No
47
this
tabl
e)
Dis
tanc
ebe
twee
nis
am
inim
umof
350
km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
47U
nkno
wn
Stet
tin
Bay
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)23
71+S
150
)08
28+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Bag
abag
Isla
nd(r
ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
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Tab
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Con
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156 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
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Dat
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Tim
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Loc
atio
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Num
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No
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49+S
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71+E
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Col
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157Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
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V
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Num
ber
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For
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c=
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mun
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3711
July
2002
Bet
wee
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and
Cap
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No
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158 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
a sub-adult male one is a juvenile two arecalves and ve are unclassi ed into any age or sexgrouping
Matches were made for two animals One afemale with a calf was sighted (13 April 2002) andphotographed (Fig 4) east of Cape HuessenerKimbe Bay (05)0151+S150)1169+E sightingNo 33 Table 1) and photographed again two dayslater to the north of Kimbe Village (05)2937+S150)0874+E sighting No 34 Table 1) Theselocations are approximately 30 n mi apart A sub-adult male with a distinctive white mark on theright-side of the top of the dorsal n was photo-graphed in the Kimbe Bay region approximately 16months apart however exact date and location forthe resighting were not available (sighting No 21Table 1 and sighting No 34 Table 2)
Two individuals were observed (one in a photo-graph and the other in a videotapemdashsighting No 3and No 17 Table 1 respectively) to have light greyunder- ukes (Visser 2002b) in comparison to the
typical white under- ukes described as diagnosticfor the species (Heyning amp Dahlheim 1988)
Group size and compositionGroup size varied from one to approximately 20individuals with the group sizes of three (n=15)of two (n=11) of one (n=9) and of ve (n=6)reported most often Calves were noted 16 times(Tables 1 and 2) Adult males were not recorded inall groups (Tables 1 and 2) and four sub-adultmales were noted (Tables 1 and 2)
Foraging behaviour and interactions with othercetaceansKiller whales in Papua New Guinea waters havebeen observed foraging on four species of elasmo-branchs four records of scalloped-hammerheadshark (Sphyrna lewini) (sightings No 10 and No33 Table 1 and sightings No 19 and 20 Table 2)three records of grey reef shark (Carcharhinusamblyrhynchos) (sighting No 3 Table 1) two
Figure 1 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoCompletersquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters (extractedfrom Table 1)
159Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
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a-de
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rds
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ofki
ller
wha
les
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Gui
nea
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ers
(exa
ctda
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loca
tion
not
know
n)
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eamp
Tim
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Loc
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ude
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V
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Num
ber
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s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
119
56ndash1
958
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
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sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
219
56ndash1
958
Dur
ing
July
toD
ecem
ber
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
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arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
3Se
ptem
ber
1956
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
15)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
15)1
587
+S1
54)1
857
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
lsquolsquoThe
sout
hern
limit
ofth
eap
pear
ance
ofO
rcin
usm
oved
toth
ene
ighb
ourh
ood
of15
)Sto
the
sout
hof
New
Gui
nea
inSe
ptem
ber
1956
rsquorsquo
Iwas
hita
etal
19
63
4D
ecem
ber
1958
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
19)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
19)0
00+
S15
4)32
58+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
5P
rior
to19
64A
roun
dN
ewG
uine
aan
dN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
s07
)23
99+S
150
)51
359+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Tak
ing
yello
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ght
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Tab
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Con
tinu
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Dat
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Tim
e
Loc
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Row
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1992
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Row
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161Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
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tinu
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Dat
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Tim
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1996
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glis
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M
Ben
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He
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No
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No
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No
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163Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
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Con
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Dat
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Tim
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Not
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2000
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31+E
No
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4ndash5
Seen
kille
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Kill
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2001
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iller
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No
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89+E
No
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Dat
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Tim
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Loc
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Pho
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No
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No
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No
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ecor
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o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce(p
c=
pers
onal
com
mun
icat
ion)
730
July
1988
OV
Wuv
ulu
Isla
nd
Bis
mar
kA
rchi
pela
go01
)44
97+S
142
)48
95+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Unk
now
nA
repo
rtfr
omlo
cal
peop
le
P
Mun
day5
pc
89
Apr
il19
9109
30h
2m
iles
oVW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)26
34+S
150
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an-M
icha
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Oce
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utur
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ciet
y32
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laSt
reet
Sa
nta
Bar
bara
C
A93
101
Uni
ted
Stat
esof
Am
eric
a5P
hilli
pM
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arin
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gyan
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quac
ultu
re
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esC
ook
Uni
vers
ity
Tow
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lle
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D48
11
Aus
tral
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ale
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itis
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indi
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ntat
ion
Res
ort
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B
ox4
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ay
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nce
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Skin
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ort
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Mill
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ates
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Nat
iona
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m
Por
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ores
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Gle
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Su
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Arc
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Nat
ural
His
tory
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ies
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rsit
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atio
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tern
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ort
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ay
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nce
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isse
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ieng
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nce
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ay
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nce
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ort
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tain
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Uni
ted
Stat
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eric
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Vis
ser
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st
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ted
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Uni
ted
Stat
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eric
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C
onse
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Inte
rnat
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Box
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Alo
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Miln
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nce
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rsit
yof
Ups
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ick
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etel
M
V
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ntat
ion
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ort
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B
ox4
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ay
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nce
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ers
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inai
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mar
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nce
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olph
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35
Por
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ores
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ntat
ion
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ort
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B
ox4
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ay
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nce
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uaN
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uine
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Bal
dwin
via
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Mill
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eC
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eW
ater
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ort
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esby
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apua
New
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nea
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nde
rL
oos
Che
rtan
web
site
ht
tp
ww
wc
hert
anc
om
40M
ark
Hei
ghes
c-M
VE
veni
ngS
tar
lsquoDiv
eK
omod
orsquo
Lab
uan
Baj
oF
lore
sIn
done
sia
158 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
a sub-adult male one is a juvenile two arecalves and ve are unclassi ed into any age or sexgrouping
Matches were made for two animals One afemale with a calf was sighted (13 April 2002) andphotographed (Fig 4) east of Cape HuessenerKimbe Bay (05)0151+S150)1169+E sightingNo 33 Table 1) and photographed again two dayslater to the north of Kimbe Village (05)2937+S150)0874+E sighting No 34 Table 1) Theselocations are approximately 30 n mi apart A sub-adult male with a distinctive white mark on theright-side of the top of the dorsal n was photo-graphed in the Kimbe Bay region approximately 16months apart however exact date and location forthe resighting were not available (sighting No 21Table 1 and sighting No 34 Table 2)
Two individuals were observed (one in a photo-graph and the other in a videotapemdashsighting No 3and No 17 Table 1 respectively) to have light greyunder- ukes (Visser 2002b) in comparison to the
typical white under- ukes described as diagnosticfor the species (Heyning amp Dahlheim 1988)
Group size and compositionGroup size varied from one to approximately 20individuals with the group sizes of three (n=15)of two (n=11) of one (n=9) and of ve (n=6)reported most often Calves were noted 16 times(Tables 1 and 2) Adult males were not recorded inall groups (Tables 1 and 2) and four sub-adultmales were noted (Tables 1 and 2)
Foraging behaviour and interactions with othercetaceansKiller whales in Papua New Guinea waters havebeen observed foraging on four species of elasmo-branchs four records of scalloped-hammerheadshark (Sphyrna lewini) (sightings No 10 and No33 Table 1 and sightings No 19 and 20 Table 2)three records of grey reef shark (Carcharhinusamblyrhynchos) (sighting No 3 Table 1) two
Figure 1 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoCompletersquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters (extractedfrom Table 1)
159Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
lsquoDat
a-de
cie
ntrsquo
reco
rds
ofsi
ghti
ngs
ofki
ller
wha
les
inP
apua
New
Gui
nea
wat
ers
(exa
ctda
teor
loca
tion
not
know
n)
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
119
56ndash1
958
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
219
56ndash1
958
Dur
ing
July
toD
ecem
ber
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
3Se
ptem
ber
1956
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
15)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
15)1
587
+S1
54)1
857
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
lsquolsquoThe
sout
hern
limit
ofth
eap
pear
ance
ofO
rcin
usm
oved
toth
ene
ighb
ourh
ood
of15
)Sto
the
sout
hof
New
Gui
nea
inSe
ptem
ber
1956
rsquorsquo
Iwas
hita
etal
19
63
4D
ecem
ber
1958
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
19)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
19)0
00+
S15
4)32
58+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
5P
rior
to19
64A
roun
dN
ewG
uine
aan
dN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
s07
)23
99+S
150
)51
359+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Tak
ing
yello
w-
ntu
naan
dbi
g-ey
etu
nafr
omlo
ng-l
ines
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Si
vasu
bram
ania
m(1
964)
6P
rior
to19
72N
Wco
ast
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
lsquolsquoIn
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
aw
ater
sth
em
ost
freq
uent
sigh
ting
sre
port
edar
eth
ose
from
oVth
eco
ast
ofno
rth-
wes
tN
ewG
uine
arsquorsquo
Daw
bin
(197
2)
719
80So
uth
ofM
icro
nesi
aan
dno
rth
ofIr
ian
Jaya
and
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
a
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Tak
ing
yello
w-
ntu
naan
dbi
g-ey
etu
nafr
omlo
ng-l
ines
lsquolsquo10
2of
tuna
sha
uled
wer
em
aule
dby
shar
ksan
dki
ller
wha
lesrsquo
rsquo
(Wri
ght
1980
)
160 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
819
821
kmoV
the
sout
hco
ast
ofL
ovan
gai
Isla
nd(N
ewH
anov
er)
No
phot
ogra
phs
2(1
fem
ale
1ca
lf)
Pas
sed
unde
rth
ebo
at
A
Wri
ght2
3p
c
9A
ppro
xim
atel
y19
85T
robr
iand
Isla
nds
08)3
741
+S1
51)1
292
+E1
(adu
ltm
ale)
On
atr
ipw
ith
Bob
Hal
stea
dab
oard
Mel
anes
ian
Exp
lore
r
C
Roe
ssle
r24
pc
10A
pril
1987
1km
wes
tof
Susa
nrsquos
Ree
fK
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)17
36+S
150
)08
17+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
App
roxi
mat
ely
15(1
adul
tm
ale
1ca
lf)
Spen
t1
hw
ith
them
from
appr
oxim
atel
y16
00h
Snor
kelle
dw
ith
am
othe
ran
dca
lfw
hom
ade
clos
eap
proa
ches
(3m
)un
derw
ater
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
11U
nkno
wn
but
prio
rto
June
1988
Wuv
ulu
Ato
ll01
)44
97+S
142
)48
95+E
Not
stat
edK
iller
wha
les
visi
tev
ery
year
an
dth
esh
arks
leav
e
Wuv
ulu
resi
dent
squ
oted
inC
oust
eau
ampR
icha
rds
(198
9)12
Apr
il19
89N
ear
Por
tM
ores
by09
)28
06+S
147
)08
30+E
lsquoLar
gegr
ouprsquo
Sigh
ted
two
days
ina
row
(see
reco
rdN
o13
th
ista
ble)
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
13A
pril
1989
Nea
rP
ort
Mor
esby
09)2
806
+S1
47)0
830
+ElsquoL
arge
grou
prsquoSe
cond
sigh
ting
ofw
hat
was
pres
umed
the
sam
ean
imal
s(s
eere
cord
No
12
this
tabl
e)
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
14A
pril
1991
(dur
ing
Eas
ter)
App
roxi
mat
ely
four
mile
sno
rth
ofW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)22
86+S
150
)06
90+E
3N
ofu
rthe
rde
tails
stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
1519
91B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
16N
ovem
ber
1992
Kav
ieng
N
ewIr
elan
dP
rovi
nce
02)3
473
+S1
50)5
311
+E
lsquoSev
eral
rsquoN
ofu
rthe
rde
tails
stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
1719
92B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
161Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
1819
93B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
19M
ay19
94B
radf
ord
Shoa
ls
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)0
942
+S1
50)1
776
+E
Und
erw
ater
vide
o2
(1ca
lf)
For
agin
gon
aha
mm
erhe
adsh
ark
Snor
kelle
rsen
tere
dth
ew
ater
A
nony
mou
s(1
995)
20P
rior
toen
dof
1994
Kim
beB
ayar
ea
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)1
412
+S1
50)1
018
+E
Not
stat
edIn
divi
dual
sor
smal
lpo
ds(lt
4)F
orag
ing
ona
scal
lope
d-ha
mm
erhe
adsh
ark
lsquolsquoUnc
omm
on
Are
occa
sion
ally
seen
wit
hin
Kim
beB
ay
Kill
erw
hale
sw
ere
seen
onth
ree
occa
sion
sin
1994
A
tB
radf
ord
Shoa
lth
eyha
vebe
enl
med
eati
nga
scal
lope
d-ha
mm
erhe
adsh
ark
rsquorsquo
Mun
dy(1
994)
2119
94B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
2219
95B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
23N
ovem
ber
1996
Nea
rIn
glis
reef
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)14
12+S
150
)10
18+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2N
ofu
rthe
rde
tails
stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
24D
ecem
ber
1996
Wes
tern
end
ofN
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05)3
895
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ved
from
boat
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B
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ay
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phot
ogra
phs
6(1
adul
tm
ale)
Fol
low
edto
Res
torf
Isla
nd
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
162 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
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ideo
tape
Num
ber
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imal
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ge)
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gbe
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ce
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ast
Cap
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ilne
Bay
10)1
464
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335
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rfac
eph
otog
raph
pa
ge14
31
(adu
ltm
ale)
For
agin
gon
asu
nsh
Sn
orke
lled
wit
hth
eki
ller
wha
lew
hile
itw
asea
ting
It
brou
ght
the
dead
sun
shto
war
dsth
esu
rfac
eth
enle
tit
drop
W
hen
the
sun
shha
dal
mos
tsu
nkfr
omsi
ght
the
kille
rw
hale
dive
dfo
rit
br
ough
tit
back
toth
esu
rfac
ean
ddr
oppe
dag
ain
He
did
this
seve
ral
tim
esbe
fore
swim
min
gaw
ay
lsquolsquoOrc
aar
ese
enre
gula
rly
atth
issi
tersquorsquo
Hal
stea
d(1
996)
27M
arch
1997
Wit
uIs
land
sW
est
New
Bri
tain
Pro
vinc
e04
)41
57+S
149
)25
76+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
Not
stat
edF
orag
ing
ona
blue
-spo
tted
ray
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atM
VF
eBre
na
Gle
eson
(199
7)B
G
lees
on26
ampM
B
enja
min
1p
c28
Pri
orto
Apr
il19
98L
ama
Shoa
lW
itu
Isla
nds
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inP
rovi
nce
04)4
310
+S1
49)3
288
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3O
bser
ved
from
boat
Sta
rD
ance
rE
nter
edw
ater
wit
hth
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imal
s
And
erso
n(1
998)
29A
pril
1988
Pan
asag
usag
uIs
land
sC
alva
dos
chai
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)58
30+S
152
)37
73+E
2O
nth
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ela
goon
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ef
Tid
eha
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stch
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JK
inch
27
30N
ovem
ber
1999
Mw
ataw
aB
each
K
iriw
ina
Isla
nd
Miln
eB
ayP
rovi
nce
08)3
329
+S1
51)1
174
+E
App
roxi
mat
ely
10T
hegr
oup
appe
ared
atm
id-d
ay
follo
win
gth
eco
ntou
rof
the
reef
nort
hwar
d
JL
inds
trom
30
pc
3119
99N
WN
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e10
)15
42+S
150
)59
62+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2T
wo
kille
rw
hale
sca
me
clos
ein
toth
edi
nghy
C
utth
een
gine
and
they
swam
oV
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
3219
99N
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
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)17
30+S
150
)59
25+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
alon
gsid
eth
eve
ssel
then
swam
oVag
ain
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
163Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
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Num
ber
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s(s
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ge)
For
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gbe
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ce
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rior
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ast
Cap
eN
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ato
Cap
eV
ente
nant
N
orm
anby
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nd10
)12
43+S
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)03
35+E
Not
stat
edlsquoF
requ
entl
ysi
ghte
drsquo
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
34A
ugus
t20
00R
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)17
30+S
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)06
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
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tm
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Sub-
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John
son3
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35D
ecem
ber
2000
Rai
Coa
st
Said
or
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e05
)36
02+S
146
)26
31+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
4ndash5
Seen
kille
rw
hale
sse
vera
lti
mes
mov
ing
alon
gth
eco
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Inbo
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assu
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nded
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out
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5of
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O
nesp
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pped
B
Lea
hy32
pc
3620
00C
ham
iso
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)4
007
+S1
50)2
789
+E
Boa
tM
VF
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naob
serv
eda
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hth
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lfsw
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ing
wit
hit
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Kill
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13
pc
37M
arch
2001
Sout
hK
iller
ton
Isla
nd
Miln
eB
ay10
)21
23+S
150
)39
51+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
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lsquobig
rsquo1
lsquosm
allrsquo)
Com
ing
into
the
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ecu
rren
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oman
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igge
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M
Lei
ban3
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ber
2001
Bet
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land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
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Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)21
82+S
150
)27
89+E
No
phot
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phs
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lose
into
shor
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Pri
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P
elus
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Egu
mat
oll
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oodl
ark
Mad
auIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)06
30+S
152
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94+
No
phot
ogra
phs
2A
nim
als
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Seen
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trad
ing
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Hiw
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M
Lei
ban3
3p
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164 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
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tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
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Num
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388
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phs
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the
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ome
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Miln
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83+E
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No
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Eas
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No
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umof
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pc
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Stet
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K
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W
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ecor
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D
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nce
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min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
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V
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Num
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Oth
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014
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T
P
elus
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Por
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)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
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phs
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App
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and
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Dep
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scub
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Mal
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pped
next
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K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
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Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
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02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
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eamp
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phs
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side
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the
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So
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jam
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pc
166
Oct
ober
1997
1200
ndash143
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pc
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1998
Bra
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K
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tain
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-net
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the
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tefr
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hnso
n11
pc
John
son
(199
9)
154 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
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tude
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togr
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ber
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c=
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onal
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mun
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155Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
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tinu
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156 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
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Pho
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Num
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Surf
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Vis
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3313
Apr
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54ndash1
326
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Han
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est
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tain
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63+S
150
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No
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phs
3H
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pc
368
May
2002
1600
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ay05
)11
49+S
145
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71+E
4H
eadi
ngto
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dsP
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land
A
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edbo
at
L
Col
lins2
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157Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
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Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
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ge)
For
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gbe
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ce(p
c=
pers
onal
com
mun
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ion)
3711
July
2002
Bet
wee
nR
esto
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land
and
Cap
eH
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ener
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
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tain
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72+S
150
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No
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phs
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Log
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Peo
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Tab
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tain
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158 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
a sub-adult male one is a juvenile two arecalves and ve are unclassi ed into any age or sexgrouping
Matches were made for two animals One afemale with a calf was sighted (13 April 2002) andphotographed (Fig 4) east of Cape HuessenerKimbe Bay (05)0151+S150)1169+E sightingNo 33 Table 1) and photographed again two dayslater to the north of Kimbe Village (05)2937+S150)0874+E sighting No 34 Table 1) Theselocations are approximately 30 n mi apart A sub-adult male with a distinctive white mark on theright-side of the top of the dorsal n was photo-graphed in the Kimbe Bay region approximately 16months apart however exact date and location forthe resighting were not available (sighting No 21Table 1 and sighting No 34 Table 2)
Two individuals were observed (one in a photo-graph and the other in a videotapemdashsighting No 3and No 17 Table 1 respectively) to have light greyunder- ukes (Visser 2002b) in comparison to the
typical white under- ukes described as diagnosticfor the species (Heyning amp Dahlheim 1988)
Group size and compositionGroup size varied from one to approximately 20individuals with the group sizes of three (n=15)of two (n=11) of one (n=9) and of ve (n=6)reported most often Calves were noted 16 times(Tables 1 and 2) Adult males were not recorded inall groups (Tables 1 and 2) and four sub-adultmales were noted (Tables 1 and 2)
Foraging behaviour and interactions with othercetaceansKiller whales in Papua New Guinea waters havebeen observed foraging on four species of elasmo-branchs four records of scalloped-hammerheadshark (Sphyrna lewini) (sightings No 10 and No33 Table 1 and sightings No 19 and 20 Table 2)three records of grey reef shark (Carcharhinusamblyrhynchos) (sighting No 3 Table 1) two
Figure 1 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoCompletersquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters (extractedfrom Table 1)
159Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
lsquoDat
a-de
cie
ntrsquo
reco
rds
ofsi
ghti
ngs
ofki
ller
wha
les
inP
apua
New
Gui
nea
wat
ers
(exa
ctda
teor
loca
tion
not
know
n)
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
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ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
119
56ndash1
958
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
219
56ndash1
958
Dur
ing
July
toD
ecem
ber
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
3Se
ptem
ber
1956
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
15)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
15)1
587
+S1
54)1
857
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
lsquolsquoThe
sout
hern
limit
ofth
eap
pear
ance
ofO
rcin
usm
oved
toth
ene
ighb
ourh
ood
of15
)Sto
the
sout
hof
New
Gui
nea
inSe
ptem
ber
1956
rsquorsquo
Iwas
hita
etal
19
63
4D
ecem
ber
1958
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
19)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
19)0
00+
S15
4)32
58+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
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aule
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ght
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Tab
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Con
tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
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iller
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oted
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No
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M
Ben
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Not
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T
Row
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16N
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1992
Kav
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Row
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161Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
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tinu
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Dat
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Tim
e
Loc
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nL
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Not
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edIn
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smal
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orag
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Are
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T
Row
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T
Row
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1996
Nea
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glis
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K
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Isla
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phs
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M
Ben
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He
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Und
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No
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27
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1999
Mw
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K
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Pro
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No
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No
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phs
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ame
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ain
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163Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
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Dat
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Tim
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Loc
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Num
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For
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Not
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D
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ber
2000
Rai
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Said
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Mad
ang
Pro
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02+S
146
)26
31+E
No
phot
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phs
4ndash5
Seen
kille
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mes
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ing
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Inbo
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Cha
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Kill
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37M
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2001
Sout
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iller
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23+S
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51+E
No
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phs
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Com
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Bet
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imbe
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W
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tain
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)27
89+E
No
phot
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phs
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Lei
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164 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
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Con
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Dat
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Tim
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Loc
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ampL
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Pho
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Num
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No
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No
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No
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No
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Und
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Dis
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nkno
wn
Stet
tin
Bay
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)23
71+S
150
)08
28+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Bag
abag
Isla
nd(r
ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce(p
c=
pers
onal
com
mun
icat
ion)
1919
Mar
ch19
99C
ape
Mat
anal
em
New
Han
over
(Lav
onga
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ghes
c-M
VE
veni
ngS
tar
lsquoDiv
eK
omod
orsquo
Lab
uan
Baj
oF
lore
sIn
done
sia
158 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
a sub-adult male one is a juvenile two arecalves and ve are unclassi ed into any age or sexgrouping
Matches were made for two animals One afemale with a calf was sighted (13 April 2002) andphotographed (Fig 4) east of Cape HuessenerKimbe Bay (05)0151+S150)1169+E sightingNo 33 Table 1) and photographed again two dayslater to the north of Kimbe Village (05)2937+S150)0874+E sighting No 34 Table 1) Theselocations are approximately 30 n mi apart A sub-adult male with a distinctive white mark on theright-side of the top of the dorsal n was photo-graphed in the Kimbe Bay region approximately 16months apart however exact date and location forthe resighting were not available (sighting No 21Table 1 and sighting No 34 Table 2)
Two individuals were observed (one in a photo-graph and the other in a videotapemdashsighting No 3and No 17 Table 1 respectively) to have light greyunder- ukes (Visser 2002b) in comparison to the
typical white under- ukes described as diagnosticfor the species (Heyning amp Dahlheim 1988)
Group size and compositionGroup size varied from one to approximately 20individuals with the group sizes of three (n=15)of two (n=11) of one (n=9) and of ve (n=6)reported most often Calves were noted 16 times(Tables 1 and 2) Adult males were not recorded inall groups (Tables 1 and 2) and four sub-adultmales were noted (Tables 1 and 2)
Foraging behaviour and interactions with othercetaceansKiller whales in Papua New Guinea waters havebeen observed foraging on four species of elasmo-branchs four records of scalloped-hammerheadshark (Sphyrna lewini) (sightings No 10 and No33 Table 1 and sightings No 19 and 20 Table 2)three records of grey reef shark (Carcharhinusamblyrhynchos) (sighting No 3 Table 1) two
Figure 1 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoCompletersquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters (extractedfrom Table 1)
159Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
lsquoDat
a-de
cie
ntrsquo
reco
rds
ofsi
ghti
ngs
ofki
ller
wha
les
inP
apua
New
Gui
nea
wat
ers
(exa
ctda
teor
loca
tion
not
know
n)
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
119
56ndash1
958
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
219
56ndash1
958
Dur
ing
July
toD
ecem
ber
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
3Se
ptem
ber
1956
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
15)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
15)1
587
+S1
54)1
857
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
lsquolsquoThe
sout
hern
limit
ofth
eap
pear
ance
ofO
rcin
usm
oved
toth
ene
ighb
ourh
ood
of15
)Sto
the
sout
hof
New
Gui
nea
inSe
ptem
ber
1956
rsquorsquo
Iwas
hita
etal
19
63
4D
ecem
ber
1958
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
19)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
19)0
00+
S15
4)32
58+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
5P
rior
to19
64A
roun
dN
ewG
uine
aan
dN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
s07
)23
99+S
150
)51
359+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Tak
ing
yello
w-
ntu
naan
dbi
g-ey
etu
nafr
omlo
ng-l
ines
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Si
vasu
bram
ania
m(1
964)
6P
rior
to19
72N
Wco
ast
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
lsquolsquoIn
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
aw
ater
sth
em
ost
freq
uent
sigh
ting
sre
port
edar
eth
ose
from
oVth
eco
ast
ofno
rth-
wes
tN
ewG
uine
arsquorsquo
Daw
bin
(197
2)
719
80So
uth
ofM
icro
nesi
aan
dno
rth
ofIr
ian
Jaya
and
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
a
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Tak
ing
yello
w-
ntu
naan
dbi
g-ey
etu
nafr
omlo
ng-l
ines
lsquolsquo10
2of
tuna
sha
uled
wer
em
aule
dby
shar
ksan
dki
ller
wha
lesrsquo
rsquo
(Wri
ght
1980
)
160 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
819
821
kmoV
the
sout
hco
ast
ofL
ovan
gai
Isla
nd(N
ewH
anov
er)
No
phot
ogra
phs
2(1
fem
ale
1ca
lf)
Pas
sed
unde
rth
ebo
at
A
Wri
ght2
3p
c
9A
ppro
xim
atel
y19
85T
robr
iand
Isla
nds
08)3
741
+S1
51)1
292
+E1
(adu
ltm
ale)
On
atr
ipw
ith
Bob
Hal
stea
dab
oard
Mel
anes
ian
Exp
lore
r
C
Roe
ssle
r24
pc
10A
pril
1987
1km
wes
tof
Susa
nrsquos
Ree
fK
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)17
36+S
150
)08
17+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
App
roxi
mat
ely
15(1
adul
tm
ale
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lf)
Spen
t1
hw
ith
them
from
appr
oxim
atel
y16
00h
Snor
kelle
dw
ith
am
othe
ran
dca
lfw
hom
ade
clos
eap
proa
ches
(3m
)un
derw
ater
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
11U
nkno
wn
but
prio
rto
June
1988
Wuv
ulu
Ato
ll01
)44
97+S
142
)48
95+E
Not
stat
edK
iller
wha
les
visi
tev
ery
year
an
dth
esh
arks
leav
e
Wuv
ulu
resi
dent
squ
oted
inC
oust
eau
ampR
icha
rds
(198
9)12
Apr
il19
89N
ear
Por
tM
ores
by09
)28
06+S
147
)08
30+E
lsquoLar
gegr
ouprsquo
Sigh
ted
two
days
ina
row
(see
reco
rdN
o13
th
ista
ble)
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
13A
pril
1989
Nea
rP
ort
Mor
esby
09)2
806
+S1
47)0
830
+ElsquoL
arge
grou
prsquoSe
cond
sigh
ting
ofw
hat
was
pres
umed
the
sam
ean
imal
s(s
eere
cord
No
12
this
tabl
e)
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
14A
pril
1991
(dur
ing
Eas
ter)
App
roxi
mat
ely
four
mile
sno
rth
ofW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)22
86+S
150
)06
90+E
3N
ofu
rthe
rde
tails
stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
1519
91B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
16N
ovem
ber
1992
Kav
ieng
N
ewIr
elan
dP
rovi
nce
02)3
473
+S1
50)5
311
+E
lsquoSev
eral
rsquoN
ofu
rthe
rde
tails
stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
1719
92B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
161Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
1819
93B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
19M
ay19
94B
radf
ord
Shoa
ls
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)0
942
+S1
50)1
776
+E
Und
erw
ater
vide
o2
(1ca
lf)
For
agin
gon
aha
mm
erhe
adsh
ark
Snor
kelle
rsen
tere
dth
ew
ater
A
nony
mou
s(1
995)
20P
rior
toen
dof
1994
Kim
beB
ayar
ea
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)1
412
+S1
50)1
018
+E
Not
stat
edIn
divi
dual
sor
smal
lpo
ds(lt
4)F
orag
ing
ona
scal
lope
d-ha
mm
erhe
adsh
ark
lsquolsquoUnc
omm
on
Are
occa
sion
ally
seen
wit
hin
Kim
beB
ay
Kill
erw
hale
sw
ere
seen
onth
ree
occa
sion
sin
1994
A
tB
radf
ord
Shoa
lth
eyha
vebe
enl
med
eati
nga
scal
lope
d-ha
mm
erhe
adsh
ark
rsquorsquo
Mun
dy(1
994)
2119
94B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
2219
95B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
23N
ovem
ber
1996
Nea
rIn
glis
reef
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)14
12+S
150
)10
18+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2N
ofu
rthe
rde
tails
stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
24D
ecem
ber
1996
Wes
tern
end
ofN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)3
895
+S1
48)1
581
+E
8O
bser
ved
from
boat
MV
FeB
rena
M
B
enja
min
1p
c
25E
arly
Dec
embe
r19
9608
30ndash1
030
h
WP
R
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)1
412
+S1
50)1
018
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
6(1
adul
tm
ale)
Fol
low
edto
Res
torf
Isla
nd
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
162 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
26P
rior
to19
96E
ast
Cap
eM
ilne
Bay
10)1
464
+S1
50)5
335
+ESu
rfac
eph
otog
raph
pa
ge14
31
(adu
ltm
ale)
For
agin
gon
asu
nsh
Sn
orke
lled
wit
hth
eki
ller
wha
lew
hile
itw
asea
ting
It
brou
ght
the
dead
sun
shto
war
dsth
esu
rfac
eth
enle
tit
drop
W
hen
the
sun
shha
dal
mos
tsu
nkfr
omsi
ght
the
kille
rw
hale
dive
dfo
rit
br
ough
tit
back
toth
esu
rfac
ean
ddr
oppe
dag
ain
He
did
this
seve
ral
tim
esbe
fore
swim
min
gaw
ay
lsquolsquoOrc
aar
ese
enre
gula
rly
atth
issi
tersquorsquo
Hal
stea
d(1
996)
27M
arch
1997
Wit
uIs
land
sW
est
New
Bri
tain
Pro
vinc
e04
)41
57+S
149
)25
76+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
Not
stat
edF
orag
ing
ona
blue
-spo
tted
ray
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atM
VF
eBre
na
Gle
eson
(199
7)B
G
lees
on26
ampM
B
enja
min
1p
c28
Pri
orto
Apr
il19
98L
ama
Shoa
lW
itu
Isla
nds
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inP
rovi
nce
04)4
310
+S1
49)3
288
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3O
bser
ved
from
boat
Sta
rD
ance
rE
nter
edw
ater
wit
hth
ean
imal
s
And
erso
n(1
998)
29A
pril
1988
Pan
asag
usag
uIs
land
sC
alva
dos
chai
n10
)58
30+S
152
)37
73+E
2O
nth
esu
rfac
eju
stou
tsid
eth
ela
goon
alon
gth
ere
ef
Tid
eha
dju
stch
ange
d
JK
inch
27
30N
ovem
ber
1999
Mw
ataw
aB
each
K
iriw
ina
Isla
nd
Miln
eB
ayP
rovi
nce
08)3
329
+S1
51)1
174
+E
App
roxi
mat
ely
10T
hegr
oup
appe
ared
atm
id-d
ay
follo
win
gth
eco
ntou
rof
the
reef
nort
hwar
d
JL
inds
trom
30
pc
3119
99N
WN
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e10
)15
42+S
150
)59
62+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2T
wo
kille
rw
hale
sca
me
clos
ein
toth
edi
nghy
C
utth
een
gine
and
they
swam
oV
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
3219
99N
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e10
)17
30+S
150
)59
25+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
alon
gsid
eth
eve
ssel
then
swam
oVag
ain
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
163Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
33P
rior
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ay20
00G
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nSt
rait
E
ast
Cap
eN
ewG
uine
ato
Cap
eV
ente
nant
N
orm
anby
Isla
nd10
)12
43+S
150
)03
35+E
Not
stat
edlsquoF
requ
entl
ysi
ghte
drsquo
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
34A
ugus
t20
00R
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)17
30+S
150
)06
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
6(1
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Sub-
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M
John
son3
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c
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ecem
ber
2000
Rai
Coa
st
Said
or
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e05
)36
02+S
146
)26
31+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
4ndash5
Seen
kille
rw
hale
sse
vera
lti
mes
mov
ing
alon
gth
eco
ast
Inbo
aton
eda
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dw
assu
rrou
nded
byab
out
4or
5of
them
O
nesp
y-ho
pped
B
Lea
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pc
3620
00C
ham
iso
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)4
007
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789
+E
Boa
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VF
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naob
serv
eda
kille
rw
hale
give
birt
hth
eca
lfsw
imm
ing
wit
hit
sum
bilic
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ed
Kill
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ting
sar
eco
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3ti
mes
aye
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Via
E
ampD
A
nom
13
pc
37M
arch
2001
Sout
hK
iller
ton
Isla
nd
Miln
eB
ay10
)21
23+S
150
)39
51+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2(1
lsquobig
rsquo1
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allrsquo)
Com
ing
into
the
bay
wit
hth
ecu
rren
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enfr
oman
outr
igge
rca
noe
M
Lei
ban3
3p
c
38N
ovem
ber
2001
Bet
wee
nW
PR
an
dR
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)21
82+S
150
)27
89+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3C
lose
into
shor
e10
0sp
inne
rdo
lphi
nshi
gh-s
peed
porp
oisi
ngin
ano
rth
east
ern
dire
ctio
naw
ayfr
omki
ller
wha
les
M
Pri
or16
ampT
P
elus
o8p
c
3920
01B
etw
een
Egu
mat
oll
ampW
oodl
ark
Mad
auIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)06
30+S
152
)07
94+
No
phot
ogra
phs
2A
nim
als
wer
ehe
adin
gto
war
dsG
awa
Seen
from
alo
cal
trad
ing
boat
Hiw
i
M
Lei
ban3
3p
c
164 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
4020
02B
etw
een
Boi
aboi
aW
aga
Isla
ndan
dE
ast
Cap
eM
ilne
Bay
10)1
298
+S1
50)5
388
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1Se
asw
ere
roug
h(w
ind
from
the
SEse
ctor
)sa
wth
ean
imal
inth
ele
eof
the
isla
nds
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
41lsquoS
ome
year
sag
orsquoM
anum
Isla
nd
Nor
thof
Mad
ang
04)0
371
5S
145)
065
15E
No
phot
ogra
phs
5(1
adul
tm
ale
1ca
lf)
Wit
hth
emfo
rov
er1
hC
de
Wit
35
pc
42M
arch
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
fo
und
inde
epw
ater
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
43A
pril
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
B
D
isila
le34
pc
44U
nkno
wn
Rav
enC
hann
el
betw
een
Eas
tC
ape
ampN
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
10)1
500
+S1
50)5
605
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1H
eadi
ngto
war
dsN
orm
anby
Isla
nd
follo
win
gth
ecu
rren
t
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
45U
nkno
wn
Star
Ree
fs
Lus
anca
yIs
land
sT
robr
iand
Isla
nds
08)1
951
+S1
48)5
699
+E
Und
erw
ater
vide
otap
eF
orag
ing
ona
man
tara
yO
bser
ved
from
boat
MV
FeB
rina
T
P
elus
o8p
c
46U
nkno
wn
Bag
abag
Isla
nd
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e04
)49
93+S
146
)19
49+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Stet
tin
Bay
(rec
ord
No
47
this
tabl
e)
Dis
tanc
ebe
twee
nis
am
inim
umof
350
km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
47U
nkno
wn
Stet
tin
Bay
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)23
71+S
150
)08
28+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Bag
abag
Isla
nd(r
ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
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ewG
uine
a35B
ebeg
aD
isila
lec
-Eas
tC
ape
Pri
mar
ySc
hool
A
lota
uM
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
eP
apua
New
Gui
nea
36C
raig
De
Wit
D
olph
inE
nter
pris
esL
td
PO
B
ox13
35
Por
tM
ores
by
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
a37Sh
ane
Rit
chie
c
-Wal
indi
Pla
ntat
ion
Res
ort
PO
B
ox4
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inP
rovi
nce
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
a38K
evin
Bal
dwin
via
John
Mill
erc
-Div
eC
entr
eW
ater
fron
tP
ort
Mor
esby
P
apua
New
Gui
nea
39R
obva
nde
rL
oos
Che
rtan
web
site
ht
tp
ww
wc
hert
anc
om
40M
ark
Hei
ghes
c-M
VE
veni
ngS
tar
lsquoDiv
eK
omod
orsquo
Lab
uan
Baj
oF
lore
sIn
done
sia
158 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
a sub-adult male one is a juvenile two arecalves and ve are unclassi ed into any age or sexgrouping
Matches were made for two animals One afemale with a calf was sighted (13 April 2002) andphotographed (Fig 4) east of Cape HuessenerKimbe Bay (05)0151+S150)1169+E sightingNo 33 Table 1) and photographed again two dayslater to the north of Kimbe Village (05)2937+S150)0874+E sighting No 34 Table 1) Theselocations are approximately 30 n mi apart A sub-adult male with a distinctive white mark on theright-side of the top of the dorsal n was photo-graphed in the Kimbe Bay region approximately 16months apart however exact date and location forthe resighting were not available (sighting No 21Table 1 and sighting No 34 Table 2)
Two individuals were observed (one in a photo-graph and the other in a videotapemdashsighting No 3and No 17 Table 1 respectively) to have light greyunder- ukes (Visser 2002b) in comparison to the
typical white under- ukes described as diagnosticfor the species (Heyning amp Dahlheim 1988)
Group size and compositionGroup size varied from one to approximately 20individuals with the group sizes of three (n=15)of two (n=11) of one (n=9) and of ve (n=6)reported most often Calves were noted 16 times(Tables 1 and 2) Adult males were not recorded inall groups (Tables 1 and 2) and four sub-adultmales were noted (Tables 1 and 2)
Foraging behaviour and interactions with othercetaceansKiller whales in Papua New Guinea waters havebeen observed foraging on four species of elasmo-branchs four records of scalloped-hammerheadshark (Sphyrna lewini) (sightings No 10 and No33 Table 1 and sightings No 19 and 20 Table 2)three records of grey reef shark (Carcharhinusamblyrhynchos) (sighting No 3 Table 1) two
Figure 1 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoCompletersquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters (extractedfrom Table 1)
159Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
lsquoDat
a-de
cie
ntrsquo
reco
rds
ofsi
ghti
ngs
ofki
ller
wha
les
inP
apua
New
Gui
nea
wat
ers
(exa
ctda
teor
loca
tion
not
know
n)
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
119
56ndash1
958
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
219
56ndash1
958
Dur
ing
July
toD
ecem
ber
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
3Se
ptem
ber
1956
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
15)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
15)1
587
+S1
54)1
857
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
lsquolsquoThe
sout
hern
limit
ofth
eap
pear
ance
ofO
rcin
usm
oved
toth
ene
ighb
ourh
ood
of15
)Sto
the
sout
hof
New
Gui
nea
inSe
ptem
ber
1956
rsquorsquo
Iwas
hita
etal
19
63
4D
ecem
ber
1958
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
19)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
19)0
00+
S15
4)32
58+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
5P
rior
to19
64A
roun
dN
ewG
uine
aan
dN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
s07
)23
99+S
150
)51
359+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Tak
ing
yello
w-
ntu
naan
dbi
g-ey
etu
nafr
omlo
ng-l
ines
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Si
vasu
bram
ania
m(1
964)
6P
rior
to19
72N
Wco
ast
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
lsquolsquoIn
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
aw
ater
sth
em
ost
freq
uent
sigh
ting
sre
port
edar
eth
ose
from
oVth
eco
ast
ofno
rth-
wes
tN
ewG
uine
arsquorsquo
Daw
bin
(197
2)
719
80So
uth
ofM
icro
nesi
aan
dno
rth
ofIr
ian
Jaya
and
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
a
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Tak
ing
yello
w-
ntu
naan
dbi
g-ey
etu
nafr
omlo
ng-l
ines
lsquolsquo10
2of
tuna
sha
uled
wer
em
aule
dby
shar
ksan
dki
ller
wha
lesrsquo
rsquo
(Wri
ght
1980
)
160 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
819
821
kmoV
the
sout
hco
ast
ofL
ovan
gai
Isla
nd(N
ewH
anov
er)
No
phot
ogra
phs
2(1
fem
ale
1ca
lf)
Pas
sed
unde
rth
ebo
at
A
Wri
ght2
3p
c
9A
ppro
xim
atel
y19
85T
robr
iand
Isla
nds
08)3
741
+S1
51)1
292
+E1
(adu
ltm
ale)
On
atr
ipw
ith
Bob
Hal
stea
dab
oard
Mel
anes
ian
Exp
lore
r
C
Roe
ssle
r24
pc
10A
pril
1987
1km
wes
tof
Susa
nrsquos
Ree
fK
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)17
36+S
150
)08
17+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
App
roxi
mat
ely
15(1
adul
tm
ale
1ca
lf)
Spen
t1
hw
ith
them
from
appr
oxim
atel
y16
00h
Snor
kelle
dw
ith
am
othe
ran
dca
lfw
hom
ade
clos
eap
proa
ches
(3m
)un
derw
ater
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
11U
nkno
wn
but
prio
rto
June
1988
Wuv
ulu
Ato
ll01
)44
97+S
142
)48
95+E
Not
stat
edK
iller
wha
les
visi
tev
ery
year
an
dth
esh
arks
leav
e
Wuv
ulu
resi
dent
squ
oted
inC
oust
eau
ampR
icha
rds
(198
9)12
Apr
il19
89N
ear
Por
tM
ores
by09
)28
06+S
147
)08
30+E
lsquoLar
gegr
ouprsquo
Sigh
ted
two
days
ina
row
(see
reco
rdN
o13
th
ista
ble)
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
13A
pril
1989
Nea
rP
ort
Mor
esby
09)2
806
+S1
47)0
830
+ElsquoL
arge
grou
prsquoSe
cond
sigh
ting
ofw
hat
was
pres
umed
the
sam
ean
imal
s(s
eere
cord
No
12
this
tabl
e)
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
14A
pril
1991
(dur
ing
Eas
ter)
App
roxi
mat
ely
four
mile
sno
rth
ofW
PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)22
86+S
150
)06
90+E
3N
ofu
rthe
rde
tails
stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
1519
91B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
16N
ovem
ber
1992
Kav
ieng
N
ewIr
elan
dP
rovi
nce
02)3
473
+S1
50)5
311
+E
lsquoSev
eral
rsquoN
ofu
rthe
rde
tails
stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
1719
92B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
161Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
1819
93B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
19M
ay19
94B
radf
ord
Shoa
ls
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)0
942
+S1
50)1
776
+E
Und
erw
ater
vide
o2
(1ca
lf)
For
agin
gon
aha
mm
erhe
adsh
ark
Snor
kelle
rsen
tere
dth
ew
ater
A
nony
mou
s(1
995)
20P
rior
toen
dof
1994
Kim
beB
ayar
ea
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)1
412
+S1
50)1
018
+E
Not
stat
edIn
divi
dual
sor
smal
lpo
ds(lt
4)F
orag
ing
ona
scal
lope
d-ha
mm
erhe
adsh
ark
lsquolsquoUnc
omm
on
Are
occa
sion
ally
seen
wit
hin
Kim
beB
ay
Kill
erw
hale
sw
ere
seen
onth
ree
occa
sion
sin
1994
A
tB
radf
ord
Shoa
lth
eyha
vebe
enl
med
eati
nga
scal
lope
d-ha
mm
erhe
adsh
ark
rsquorsquo
Mun
dy(1
994)
2119
94B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
2219
95B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
23N
ovem
ber
1996
Nea
rIn
glis
reef
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)14
12+S
150
)10
18+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2N
ofu
rthe
rde
tails
stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
24D
ecem
ber
1996
Wes
tern
end
ofN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)3
895
+S1
48)1
581
+E
8O
bser
ved
from
boat
MV
FeB
rena
M
B
enja
min
1p
c
25E
arly
Dec
embe
r19
9608
30ndash1
030
h
WP
R
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)1
412
+S1
50)1
018
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
6(1
adul
tm
ale)
Fol
low
edto
Res
torf
Isla
nd
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
162 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
26P
rior
to19
96E
ast
Cap
eM
ilne
Bay
10)1
464
+S1
50)5
335
+ESu
rfac
eph
otog
raph
pa
ge14
31
(adu
ltm
ale)
For
agin
gon
asu
nsh
Sn
orke
lled
wit
hth
eki
ller
wha
lew
hile
itw
asea
ting
It
brou
ght
the
dead
sun
shto
war
dsth
esu
rfac
eth
enle
tit
drop
W
hen
the
sun
shha
dal
mos
tsu
nkfr
omsi
ght
the
kille
rw
hale
dive
dfo
rit
br
ough
tit
back
toth
esu
rfac
ean
ddr
oppe
dag
ain
He
did
this
seve
ral
tim
esbe
fore
swim
min
gaw
ay
lsquolsquoOrc
aar
ese
enre
gula
rly
atth
issi
tersquorsquo
Hal
stea
d(1
996)
27M
arch
1997
Wit
uIs
land
sW
est
New
Bri
tain
Pro
vinc
e04
)41
57+S
149
)25
76+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
Not
stat
edF
orag
ing
ona
blue
-spo
tted
ray
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atM
VF
eBre
na
Gle
eson
(199
7)B
G
lees
on26
ampM
B
enja
min
1p
c28
Pri
orto
Apr
il19
98L
ama
Shoa
lW
itu
Isla
nds
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inP
rovi
nce
04)4
310
+S1
49)3
288
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3O
bser
ved
from
boat
Sta
rD
ance
rE
nter
edw
ater
wit
hth
ean
imal
s
And
erso
n(1
998)
29A
pril
1988
Pan
asag
usag
uIs
land
sC
alva
dos
chai
n10
)58
30+S
152
)37
73+E
2O
nth
esu
rfac
eju
stou
tsid
eth
ela
goon
alon
gth
ere
ef
Tid
eha
dju
stch
ange
d
JK
inch
27
30N
ovem
ber
1999
Mw
ataw
aB
each
K
iriw
ina
Isla
nd
Miln
eB
ayP
rovi
nce
08)3
329
+S1
51)1
174
+E
App
roxi
mat
ely
10T
hegr
oup
appe
ared
atm
id-d
ay
follo
win
gth
eco
ntou
rof
the
reef
nort
hwar
d
JL
inds
trom
30
pc
3119
99N
WN
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e10
)15
42+S
150
)59
62+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2T
wo
kille
rw
hale
sca
me
clos
ein
toth
edi
nghy
C
utth
een
gine
and
they
swam
oV
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
3219
99N
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e10
)17
30+S
150
)59
25+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
alon
gsid
eth
eve
ssel
then
swam
oVag
ain
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
163Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
33P
rior
toM
ay20
00G
oshe
nSt
rait
E
ast
Cap
eN
ewG
uine
ato
Cap
eV
ente
nant
N
orm
anby
Isla
nd10
)12
43+S
150
)03
35+E
Not
stat
edlsquoF
requ
entl
ysi
ghte
drsquo
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
34A
ugus
t20
00R
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)17
30+S
150
)06
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
6(1
sub-
adul
tm
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Sub-
adul
tm
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had
whi
tepa
tch
onri
ght-
hand
side
ofdo
rsal
n
M
John
son3
1p
c
35D
ecem
ber
2000
Rai
Coa
st
Said
or
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e05
)36
02+S
146
)26
31+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
4ndash5
Seen
kille
rw
hale
sse
vera
lti
mes
mov
ing
alon
gth
eco
ast
Inbo
aton
eda
yan
dw
assu
rrou
nded
byab
out
4or
5of
them
O
nesp
y-ho
pped
B
Lea
hy32
pc
3620
00C
ham
iso
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)4
007
+S1
50)2
789
+E
Boa
tM
VF
eBri
naob
serv
eda
kille
rw
hale
give
birt
hth
eca
lfsw
imm
ing
wit
hit
sum
bilic
alco
rdst
illat
tach
ed
Kill
erw
hale
sigh
ting
sar
eco
mm
onat
leas
t2ndash
3ti
mes
aye
ar
Via
E
ampD
A
nom
13
pc
37M
arch
2001
Sout
hK
iller
ton
Isla
nd
Miln
eB
ay10
)21
23+S
150
)39
51+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2(1
lsquobig
rsquo1
lsquosm
allrsquo)
Com
ing
into
the
bay
wit
hth
ecu
rren
tSe
enfr
oman
outr
igge
rca
noe
M
Lei
ban3
3p
c
38N
ovem
ber
2001
Bet
wee
nW
PR
an
dR
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)21
82+S
150
)27
89+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3C
lose
into
shor
e10
0sp
inne
rdo
lphi
nshi
gh-s
peed
porp
oisi
ngin
ano
rth
east
ern
dire
ctio
naw
ayfr
omki
ller
wha
les
M
Pri
or16
ampT
P
elus
o8p
c
3920
01B
etw
een
Egu
mat
oll
ampW
oodl
ark
Mad
auIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)06
30+S
152
)07
94+
No
phot
ogra
phs
2A
nim
als
wer
ehe
adin
gto
war
dsG
awa
Seen
from
alo
cal
trad
ing
boat
Hiw
i
M
Lei
ban3
3p
c
164 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
4020
02B
etw
een
Boi
aboi
aW
aga
Isla
ndan
dE
ast
Cap
eM
ilne
Bay
10)1
298
+S1
50)5
388
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1Se
asw
ere
roug
h(w
ind
from
the
SEse
ctor
)sa
wth
ean
imal
inth
ele
eof
the
isla
nds
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
41lsquoS
ome
year
sag
orsquoM
anum
Isla
nd
Nor
thof
Mad
ang
04)0
371
5S
145)
065
15E
No
phot
ogra
phs
5(1
adul
tm
ale
1ca
lf)
Wit
hth
emfo
rov
er1
hC
de
Wit
35
pc
42M
arch
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
fo
und
inde
epw
ater
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
43A
pril
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
B
D
isila
le34
pc
44U
nkno
wn
Rav
enC
hann
el
betw
een
Eas
tC
ape
ampN
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
10)1
500
+S1
50)5
605
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1H
eadi
ngto
war
dsN
orm
anby
Isla
nd
follo
win
gth
ecu
rren
t
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
45U
nkno
wn
Star
Ree
fs
Lus
anca
yIs
land
sT
robr
iand
Isla
nds
08)1
951
+S1
48)5
699
+E
Und
erw
ater
vide
otap
eF
orag
ing
ona
man
tara
yO
bser
ved
from
boat
MV
FeB
rina
T
P
elus
o8p
c
46U
nkno
wn
Bag
abag
Isla
nd
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e04
)49
93+S
146
)19
49+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Stet
tin
Bay
(rec
ord
No
47
this
tabl
e)
Dis
tanc
ebe
twee
nis
am
inim
umof
350
km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
47U
nkno
wn
Stet
tin
Bay
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)23
71+S
150
)08
28+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Bag
abag
Isla
nd(r
ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
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nL
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ude
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Num
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3516
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est
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tain
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No
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ngto
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dsP
igIs
land
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at
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Col
lins2
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157Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
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imal
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ge)
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ener
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tain
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No
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phs
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Peo
ple
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le1
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able
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nR
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est
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tain
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158 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
a sub-adult male one is a juvenile two arecalves and ve are unclassi ed into any age or sexgrouping
Matches were made for two animals One afemale with a calf was sighted (13 April 2002) andphotographed (Fig 4) east of Cape HuessenerKimbe Bay (05)0151+S150)1169+E sightingNo 33 Table 1) and photographed again two dayslater to the north of Kimbe Village (05)2937+S150)0874+E sighting No 34 Table 1) Theselocations are approximately 30 n mi apart A sub-adult male with a distinctive white mark on theright-side of the top of the dorsal n was photo-graphed in the Kimbe Bay region approximately 16months apart however exact date and location forthe resighting were not available (sighting No 21Table 1 and sighting No 34 Table 2)
Two individuals were observed (one in a photo-graph and the other in a videotapemdashsighting No 3and No 17 Table 1 respectively) to have light greyunder- ukes (Visser 2002b) in comparison to the
typical white under- ukes described as diagnosticfor the species (Heyning amp Dahlheim 1988)
Group size and compositionGroup size varied from one to approximately 20individuals with the group sizes of three (n=15)of two (n=11) of one (n=9) and of ve (n=6)reported most often Calves were noted 16 times(Tables 1 and 2) Adult males were not recorded inall groups (Tables 1 and 2) and four sub-adultmales were noted (Tables 1 and 2)
Foraging behaviour and interactions with othercetaceansKiller whales in Papua New Guinea waters havebeen observed foraging on four species of elasmo-branchs four records of scalloped-hammerheadshark (Sphyrna lewini) (sightings No 10 and No33 Table 1 and sightings No 19 and 20 Table 2)three records of grey reef shark (Carcharhinusamblyrhynchos) (sighting No 3 Table 1) two
Figure 1 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoCompletersquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters (extractedfrom Table 1)
159Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
lsquoDat
a-de
cie
ntrsquo
reco
rds
ofsi
ghti
ngs
ofki
ller
wha
les
inP
apua
New
Gui
nea
wat
ers
(exa
ctda
teor
loca
tion
not
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orts
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edN
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orts
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edN
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orts
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ourh
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nea
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1956
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19
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1958
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orts
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edN
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ated
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edN
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ated
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uth
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aule
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ght
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Tab
le2
Con
tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
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ude
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Not
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oted
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No
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M
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Row
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16N
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1992
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Row
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161Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
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Row
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Not
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edIn
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sor
smal
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orag
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Are
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ally
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ay
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A
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neor
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ar
T
Row
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2219
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nce
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stat
edO
neor
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ar
T
Row
land
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pc
23N
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ber
1996
Nea
rIn
glis
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K
imbe
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W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
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)14
12+S
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No
phot
ogra
phs
2N
ofu
rthe
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stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
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24D
ecem
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1996
Wes
tern
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Fol
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Res
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162 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
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Dat
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Tim
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Num
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For
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Sn
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It
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W
hen
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He
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stea
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27M
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1997
Wit
uIs
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est
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tain
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Und
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phs
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edF
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Obs
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Gle
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G
lees
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Pri
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98L
ama
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nce
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No
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phs
3O
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ved
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Sta
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nter
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ater
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And
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n(1
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29A
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1988
Pan
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30+S
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73+E
2O
nth
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Tid
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JK
inch
27
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ovem
ber
1999
Mw
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each
K
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Isla
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App
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ely
10T
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ared
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3119
99N
WN
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ilne
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Pro
vinc
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)15
42+S
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62+E
No
phot
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phs
2T
wo
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Pro
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No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
alon
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ssel
then
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ain
D
Mit
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163Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
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ampL
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Num
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For
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Cap
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Cap
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N
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Not
stat
edlsquoF
requ
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D
Mit
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imbe
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est
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M
John
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ber
2000
Rai
Coa
st
Said
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Mad
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Pro
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146
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31+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
4ndash5
Seen
kille
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vera
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mes
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ing
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Inbo
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3620
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Cha
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789
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Boa
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Kill
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ting
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37M
arch
2001
Sout
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iller
ton
Isla
nd
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23+S
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)39
51+E
No
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phs
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Com
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igge
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Lei
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ber
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Bet
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land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
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tain
Isla
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)21
82+S
150
)27
89+E
No
phot
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phs
3C
lose
into
shor
e10
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Pri
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Pro
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phs
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Lei
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Tab
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Con
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Dat
eamp
Tim
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Loc
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nL
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ampL
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tude
Pho
togr
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Num
ber
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the
SEse
ctor
)sa
wth
ean
imal
inth
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eof
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nds
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ilale
34
pc
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ome
year
sag
orsquoM
anum
Isla
nd
Nor
thof
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ang
04)0
371
5S
145)
065
15E
No
phot
ogra
phs
5(1
adul
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ale
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lf)
Wit
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er1
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de
Wit
35
pc
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arch
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run
know
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ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
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)52
83+E
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ogra
phs
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ame
from
the
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ctio
nof
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ogel
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und
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epw
ater
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ilale
34
pc
43A
pril
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2C
ame
from
the
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ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
B
D
isila
le34
pc
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nkno
wn
Rav
enC
hann
el
betw
een
Eas
tC
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ampN
uaka
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M
ilne
Bay
10)1
500
+S1
50)5
605
+E
No
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ogra
phs
1H
eadi
ngto
war
dsN
orm
anby
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nd
follo
win
gth
ecu
rren
t
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
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wn
Star
Ree
fs
Lus
anca
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robr
iand
Isla
nds
08)1
951
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699
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Und
erw
ater
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eF
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ing
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ved
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FeB
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T
P
elus
o8p
c
46U
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wn
Bag
abag
Isla
nd
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e04
)49
93+S
146
)19
49+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Stet
tin
Bay
(rec
ord
No
47
this
tabl
e)
Dis
tanc
ebe
twee
nis
am
inim
umof
350
km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
47U
nkno
wn
Stet
tin
Bay
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)23
71+S
150
)08
28+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Bag
abag
Isla
nd(r
ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le1
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce(p
c=
pers
onal
com
mun
icat
ion)
3711
July
2002
Bet
wee
nR
esto
rfIs
land
and
Cap
eH
euss
ener
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)09
72+S
150
)06
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3Se
enby
polic
eon
boat
head
ing
toW
PR
J
Log
a22
pc
Peo
ple
cite
din
Tab
le1
and
orT
able
2W
PR
W
alin
diP
lant
atio
nR
esor
tK
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Pro
vinc
e05
)26
341
S15
0)05
223
E
1M
axB
enja
min
W
alin
diP
lant
atio
nR
esor
tP
O
Box
4K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inP
rovi
nce
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
a2C
huck
Dav
is
Tid
alF
lats
Vid
eoP
rodu
ctio
ns
1215
Surf
Ave
nue
Pac
ic
Gro
ve
CA
9395
0U
nite
dSt
ates
ofA
mer
ica
3L
ouis
Pre
zelin
12
81F
erre
loR
oad
Sant
aB
arba
ra
CA
9310
3U
nite
dSt
ates
ofA
mer
ica
4Je
an-M
icha
elC
oust
eau
Oce
anF
utur
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ciet
y32
5C
hapa
laSt
reet
Sa
nta
Bar
bara
C
A93
101
Uni
ted
Stat
esof
Am
eric
a5P
hilli
pM
unda
ySc
hool
ofM
arin
eB
iolo
gyan
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quac
ultu
re
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esC
ook
Uni
vers
ity
Tow
nsvi
lle
QL
D48
11
Aus
tral
ia
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ale
Egl
itis
c
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indi
Pla
ntat
ion
Res
ort
PO
B
ox4
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ay
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nce
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Skin
ner
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ent
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tha
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tral
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hy
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ort
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ay
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nce
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ria
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ustr
alia
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nd
1412
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rive
SE
Mill
Cre
ek
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9801
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ates
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ica
11Ji
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ake
Moo
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d43
09
Aus
tral
ia
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erm
anM
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iP
NG
Nat
iona
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useu
m
Por
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ores
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Gle
nR
Su
mm
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Arc
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logy
and
Nat
ural
His
tory
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earc
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sian
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ies
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tral
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Nat
iona
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rsit
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tral
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ell
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serv
atio
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tern
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nal
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ox80
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vinc
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nea
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eter
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ort
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ay
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nce
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mon
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isse
nung
Isla
ndR
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tP
O
Box
536
Kav
ieng
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elan
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nce
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uaN
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a16R
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Box
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nea
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rian
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tc
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ox4
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beB
ay
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nce
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uaN
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olly
Had
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Res
ort
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ox53
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ng
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ren
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or
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W
est
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tain
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vinc
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nea
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Hal
l25
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ck
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Uni
ted
Stat
esof
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eric
a21In
grid
N
Vis
ser
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aR
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rch
Tru
st
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ox12
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Box
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tain
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est
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tain
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ssle
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Uni
ted
Stat
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eric
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nd
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est
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tfor
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Uni
ted
Stat
esof
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eric
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onse
rvat
ion
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rnat
iona
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Box
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Alo
tau
Miln
eB
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nce
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uaN
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uine
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nive
rsit
yof
Ups
ala
(via
Fra
nkB
onoc
cors
o)
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athe
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ick
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etel
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rina
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indi
Pla
ntat
ion
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ort
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B
ox4
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ay
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tN
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nce
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eL
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c
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eSe
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ers
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B
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inai
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nce
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ox13
35
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tM
ores
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uaN
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ane
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ntat
ion
Res
ort
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B
ox4
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beB
ay
Wes
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nce
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uaN
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Bal
dwin
via
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Mill
erc
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eC
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eW
ater
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ort
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apua
New
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nea
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nde
rL
oos
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rtan
web
site
ht
tp
ww
wc
hert
anc
om
40M
ark
Hei
ghes
c-M
VE
veni
ngS
tar
lsquoDiv
eK
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orsquo
Lab
uan
Baj
oF
lore
sIn
done
sia
158 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
a sub-adult male one is a juvenile two arecalves and ve are unclassi ed into any age or sexgrouping
Matches were made for two animals One afemale with a calf was sighted (13 April 2002) andphotographed (Fig 4) east of Cape HuessenerKimbe Bay (05)0151+S150)1169+E sightingNo 33 Table 1) and photographed again two dayslater to the north of Kimbe Village (05)2937+S150)0874+E sighting No 34 Table 1) Theselocations are approximately 30 n mi apart A sub-adult male with a distinctive white mark on theright-side of the top of the dorsal n was photo-graphed in the Kimbe Bay region approximately 16months apart however exact date and location forthe resighting were not available (sighting No 21Table 1 and sighting No 34 Table 2)
Two individuals were observed (one in a photo-graph and the other in a videotapemdashsighting No 3and No 17 Table 1 respectively) to have light greyunder- ukes (Visser 2002b) in comparison to the
typical white under- ukes described as diagnosticfor the species (Heyning amp Dahlheim 1988)
Group size and compositionGroup size varied from one to approximately 20individuals with the group sizes of three (n=15)of two (n=11) of one (n=9) and of ve (n=6)reported most often Calves were noted 16 times(Tables 1 and 2) Adult males were not recorded inall groups (Tables 1 and 2) and four sub-adultmales were noted (Tables 1 and 2)
Foraging behaviour and interactions with othercetaceansKiller whales in Papua New Guinea waters havebeen observed foraging on four species of elasmo-branchs four records of scalloped-hammerheadshark (Sphyrna lewini) (sightings No 10 and No33 Table 1 and sightings No 19 and 20 Table 2)three records of grey reef shark (Carcharhinusamblyrhynchos) (sighting No 3 Table 1) two
Figure 1 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoCompletersquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters (extractedfrom Table 1)
159Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
lsquoDat
a-de
cie
ntrsquo
reco
rds
ofsi
ghti
ngs
ofki
ller
wha
les
inP
apua
New
Gui
nea
wat
ers
(exa
ctda
teor
loca
tion
not
know
n)
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
119
56ndash1
958
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
219
56ndash1
958
Dur
ing
July
toD
ecem
ber
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
3Se
ptem
ber
1956
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
15)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
15)1
587
+S1
54)1
857
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
lsquolsquoThe
sout
hern
limit
ofth
eap
pear
ance
ofO
rcin
usm
oved
toth
ene
ighb
ourh
ood
of15
)Sto
the
sout
hof
New
Gui
nea
inSe
ptem
ber
1956
rsquorsquo
Iwas
hita
etal
19
63
4D
ecem
ber
1958
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
19)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
19)0
00+
S15
4)32
58+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
5P
rior
to19
64A
roun
dN
ewG
uine
aan
dN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
s07
)23
99+S
150
)51
359+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Tak
ing
yello
w-
ntu
naan
dbi
g-ey
etu
nafr
omlo
ng-l
ines
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Si
vasu
bram
ania
m(1
964)
6P
rior
to19
72N
Wco
ast
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
lsquolsquoIn
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
aw
ater
sth
em
ost
freq
uent
sigh
ting
sre
port
edar
eth
ose
from
oVth
eco
ast
ofno
rth-
wes
tN
ewG
uine
arsquorsquo
Daw
bin
(197
2)
719
80So
uth
ofM
icro
nesi
aan
dno
rth
ofIr
ian
Jaya
and
Pap
uaN
ewG
uine
a
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Tak
ing
yello
w-
ntu
naan
dbi
g-ey
etu
nafr
omlo
ng-l
ines
lsquolsquo10
2of
tuna
sha
uled
wer
em
aule
dby
shar
ksan
dki
ller
wha
lesrsquo
rsquo
(Wri
ght
1980
)
160 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
819
821
kmoV
the
sout
hco
ast
ofL
ovan
gai
Isla
nd(N
ewH
anov
er)
No
phot
ogra
phs
2(1
fem
ale
1ca
lf)
Pas
sed
unde
rth
ebo
at
A
Wri
ght2
3p
c
9A
ppro
xim
atel
y19
85T
robr
iand
Isla
nds
08)3
741
+S1
51)1
292
+E1
(adu
ltm
ale)
On
atr
ipw
ith
Bob
Hal
stea
dab
oard
Mel
anes
ian
Exp
lore
r
C
Roe
ssle
r24
pc
10A
pril
1987
1km
wes
tof
Susa
nrsquos
Ree
fK
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)17
36+S
150
)08
17+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
App
roxi
mat
ely
15(1
adul
tm
ale
1ca
lf)
Spen
t1
hw
ith
them
from
appr
oxim
atel
y16
00h
Snor
kelle
dw
ith
am
othe
ran
dca
lfw
hom
ade
clos
eap
proa
ches
(3m
)un
derw
ater
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
11U
nkno
wn
but
prio
rto
June
1988
Wuv
ulu
Ato
ll01
)44
97+S
142
)48
95+E
Not
stat
edK
iller
wha
les
visi
tev
ery
year
an
dth
esh
arks
leav
e
Wuv
ulu
resi
dent
squ
oted
inC
oust
eau
ampR
icha
rds
(198
9)12
Apr
il19
89N
ear
Por
tM
ores
by09
)28
06+S
147
)08
30+E
lsquoLar
gegr
ouprsquo
Sigh
ted
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days
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row
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reco
rdN
o13
th
ista
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M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
13A
pril
1989
Nea
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Mor
esby
09)2
806
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830
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cond
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ting
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was
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sam
ean
imal
s(s
eere
cord
No
12
this
tabl
e)
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
14A
pril
1991
(dur
ing
Eas
ter)
App
roxi
mat
ely
four
mile
sno
rth
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PR
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
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tain
Isla
nd05
)22
86+S
150
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90+E
3N
ofu
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rde
tails
stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
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pc
1519
91B
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agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
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04)4
736
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46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
16N
ovem
ber
1992
Kav
ieng
N
ewIr
elan
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02)3
473
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50)5
311
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M
Ben
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Not
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T
Row
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25
pc
161Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
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tude
Pho
togr
aphs
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ideo
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Num
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For
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Row
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Und
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ater
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412
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Not
stat
edIn
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dual
sor
smal
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4)F
orag
ing
ona
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Are
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ally
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ay
Kill
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ere
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A
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neor
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epo
dsea
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ar
T
Row
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2219
95B
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land
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adan
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Not
stat
edO
neor
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dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
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pc
23N
ovem
ber
1996
Nea
rIn
glis
reef
K
imbe
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W
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New
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tain
Isla
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)14
12+S
150
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18+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2N
ofu
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stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
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24D
ecem
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1996
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arly
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phs
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Fol
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torf
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Ben
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162 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
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tinu
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Dat
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Tim
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Loc
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Num
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For
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hen
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He
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Wit
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Und
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phs
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No
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phs
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ved
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Sta
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imal
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And
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n(1
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1988
Pan
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2O
nth
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ef
Tid
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JK
inch
27
30N
ovem
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1999
Mw
ataw
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each
K
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Isla
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App
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ely
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ared
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99N
WN
uaka
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land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
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)59
62+E
No
phot
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phs
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me
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ilne
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Pro
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No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
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eth
eve
ssel
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ain
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Mit
chel
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163Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
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Pho
togr
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Num
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For
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Oth
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Cap
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Cap
eV
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orm
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Not
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requ
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D
Mit
chel
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pc
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ugus
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K
imbe
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est
New
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tain
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30+S
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Sub-
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ber
2000
Rai
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st
Said
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Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e05
)36
02+S
146
)26
31+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
4ndash5
Seen
kille
rw
hale
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vera
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mes
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ing
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Inbo
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007
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Boa
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Kill
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ting
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37M
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2001
Sout
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iller
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23+S
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No
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phs
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Com
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Lei
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2001
Bet
wee
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K
imbe
Bay
W
est
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tain
Isla
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82+S
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)27
89+E
No
phot
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phs
3C
lose
into
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Pri
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No
phot
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phs
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als
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ehe
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Hiw
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M
Lei
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Tab
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Con
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Dat
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Tim
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Loc
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ampL
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Pho
togr
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Num
ber
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For
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No
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No
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phs
5(1
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02)
Eas
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83+E
No
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phs
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ctio
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und
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ater
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Eas
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No
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Eas
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ilne
Bay
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No
phot
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Star
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951
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Und
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P
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Bag
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ang
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Stet
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47
this
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e)
Dis
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umof
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Stet
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Bay
K
imbe
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W
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Isla
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imum
of35
0km
SR
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ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
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V
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tape
Num
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For
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Sour
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P
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92+S
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Surf
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Not
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For
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cies
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E
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Obs
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War
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unt
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Cap
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ilne
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Pro
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)37
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No
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phs
Occ
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Not
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No
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Surf
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eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
a sub-adult male one is a juvenile two arecalves and ve are unclassi ed into any age or sexgrouping
Matches were made for two animals One afemale with a calf was sighted (13 April 2002) andphotographed (Fig 4) east of Cape HuessenerKimbe Bay (05)0151+S150)1169+E sightingNo 33 Table 1) and photographed again two dayslater to the north of Kimbe Village (05)2937+S150)0874+E sighting No 34 Table 1) Theselocations are approximately 30 n mi apart A sub-adult male with a distinctive white mark on theright-side of the top of the dorsal n was photo-graphed in the Kimbe Bay region approximately 16months apart however exact date and location forthe resighting were not available (sighting No 21Table 1 and sighting No 34 Table 2)
Two individuals were observed (one in a photo-graph and the other in a videotapemdashsighting No 3and No 17 Table 1 respectively) to have light greyunder- ukes (Visser 2002b) in comparison to the
typical white under- ukes described as diagnosticfor the species (Heyning amp Dahlheim 1988)
Group size and compositionGroup size varied from one to approximately 20individuals with the group sizes of three (n=15)of two (n=11) of one (n=9) and of ve (n=6)reported most often Calves were noted 16 times(Tables 1 and 2) Adult males were not recorded inall groups (Tables 1 and 2) and four sub-adultmales were noted (Tables 1 and 2)
Foraging behaviour and interactions with othercetaceansKiller whales in Papua New Guinea waters havebeen observed foraging on four species of elasmo-branchs four records of scalloped-hammerheadshark (Sphyrna lewini) (sightings No 10 and No33 Table 1 and sightings No 19 and 20 Table 2)three records of grey reef shark (Carcharhinusamblyrhynchos) (sighting No 3 Table 1) two
Figure 1 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoCompletersquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters (extractedfrom Table 1)
159Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
lsquoDat
a-de
cie
ntrsquo
reco
rds
ofsi
ghti
ngs
ofki
ller
wha
les
inP
apua
New
Gui
nea
wat
ers
(exa
ctda
teor
loca
tion
not
know
n)
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
119
56ndash1
958
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
219
56ndash1
958
Dur
ing
July
toD
ecem
ber
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngs
hoV
long
-lin
es(t
arge
tsp
ecie
sw
ere
tuna
)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
3Se
ptem
ber
1956
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
15)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
15)1
587
+S1
54)1
857
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
lsquolsquoThe
sout
hern
limit
ofth
eap
pear
ance
ofO
rcin
usm
oved
toth
ene
ighb
ourh
ood
of15
)Sto
the
sout
hof
New
Gui
nea
inSe
ptem
ber
1956
rsquorsquo
Iwas
hita
etal
19
63
4D
ecem
ber
1958
Nei
ghbo
urho
odof
19)S
toth
eso
uth
ofN
ewG
uine
aIs
land
19)0
00+
S15
4)32
58+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
ofki
ller
wha
les
taki
ngtu
naoV
long
-lin
es
(Var
ious
spec
ies
oftu
nam
enti
oned
bu
tno
neid
enti
ed
spec
ica
lly)
No
furt
her
deta
ilsst
ated
Iw
ashi
taet
al
1963
5P
rior
to19
64A
roun
dN
ewG
uine
aan
dN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
s07
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tinu
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Dat
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Tim
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Loc
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Row
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1992
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Row
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Tab
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tinu
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Dat
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M
Ben
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No
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No
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No
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Tab
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Dat
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2000
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31+E
No
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Seen
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Kill
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No
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No
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Dat
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Tim
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No
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isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Bag
abag
Isla
nd(r
ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
lsquoDat
a-de
cie
ntrsquo
reco
rds
ofsi
ghti
ngs
ofki
ller
wha
les
inP
apua
New
Gui
nea
wat
ers
(exa
ctda
teor
loca
tion
not
know
n)
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
119
56ndash1
958
Eas
tern
lati
tude
sne
arN
ewG
uine
aN
ewB
rita
in
and
Dol
ak
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Rep
orts
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Eas
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edN
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ated
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orts
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orts
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ies
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ourh
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1956
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19
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1958
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orts
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ated
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edN
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ated
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ater
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ght
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Tab
le2
Con
tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
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ude
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oted
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No
12
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e)
M
Ben
jam
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14A
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1991
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ter)
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ely
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imbe
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Not
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Row
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16N
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1992
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Row
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161Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
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tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
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ude
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Row
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Not
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edIn
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dual
sor
smal
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4)F
orag
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Are
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ally
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ay
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A
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neor
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ar
T
Row
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2219
95B
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adan
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nce
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Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
23N
ovem
ber
1996
Nea
rIn
glis
reef
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
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)14
12+S
150
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No
phot
ogra
phs
2N
ofu
rthe
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tails
stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
24D
ecem
ber
1996
Wes
tern
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phs
6(1
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Fol
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Res
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Ben
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162 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
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Num
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For
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Sn
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It
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hen
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ough
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ain
He
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stea
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1997
Wit
uIs
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est
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tain
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Und
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ater
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phs
Not
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edF
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Obs
erve
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Gle
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G
lees
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Pri
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98L
ama
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nce
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49)3
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No
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phs
3O
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ved
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Sta
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ater
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And
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29A
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1988
Pan
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nth
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Tid
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JK
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27
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ovem
ber
1999
Mw
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each
K
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Isla
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nce
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App
roxi
mat
ely
10T
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ared
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99N
WN
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ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
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)15
42+S
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62+E
No
phot
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phs
2T
wo
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me
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ilne
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Pro
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No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
alon
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ssel
then
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ain
D
Mit
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163Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
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ampL
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Num
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For
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Sour
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ast
Cap
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Cap
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N
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Not
stat
edlsquoF
requ
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D
Mit
chel
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ugus
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K
imbe
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W
est
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tain
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M
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ber
2000
Rai
Coa
st
Said
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Mad
ang
Pro
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146
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31+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
4ndash5
Seen
kille
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mes
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ing
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Inbo
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B
Lea
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3620
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Cha
nnel
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Kill
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ting
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37M
arch
2001
Sout
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iller
ton
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nd
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23+S
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)39
51+E
No
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phs
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Com
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igge
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Lei
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Bet
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land
K
imbe
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W
est
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tain
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nd05
)21
82+S
150
)27
89+E
No
phot
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phs
3C
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into
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e10
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rdo
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Pri
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Pro
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phs
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Lei
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Tab
le2
Con
tinu
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Dat
eamp
Tim
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Loc
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nL
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ampL
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Pho
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Num
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npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
fo
und
inde
epw
ater
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
43A
pril
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
B
D
isila
le34
pc
44U
nkno
wn
Rav
enC
hann
el
betw
een
Eas
tC
ape
ampN
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
10)1
500
+S1
50)5
605
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1H
eadi
ngto
war
dsN
orm
anby
Isla
nd
follo
win
gth
ecu
rren
t
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
45U
nkno
wn
Star
Ree
fs
Lus
anca
yIs
land
sT
robr
iand
Isla
nds
08)1
951
+S1
48)5
699
+E
Und
erw
ater
vide
otap
eF
orag
ing
ona
man
tara
yO
bser
ved
from
boat
MV
FeB
rina
T
P
elus
o8p
c
46U
nkno
wn
Bag
abag
Isla
nd
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e04
)49
93+S
146
)19
49+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Stet
tin
Bay
(rec
ord
No
47
this
tabl
e)
Dis
tanc
ebe
twee
nis
am
inim
umof
350
km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
47U
nkno
wn
Stet
tin
Bay
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)23
71+S
150
)08
28+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Bag
abag
Isla
nd(r
ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
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Con
tinu
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Dat
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161Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
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tinu
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Dat
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Nea
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Tab
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No
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No
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350
km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
47U
nkno
wn
Stet
tin
Bay
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)23
71+S
150
)08
28+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Bag
abag
Isla
nd(r
ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
1819
93B
agab
agIs
land
M
adan
gP
rovi
nce
04)4
736
+S1
46)1
052
+E
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stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
19M
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radf
ord
Shoa
ls
Kim
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tN
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inIs
land
05)0
942
+S1
50)1
776
+E
Und
erw
ater
vide
o2
(1ca
lf)
For
agin
gon
aha
mm
erhe
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ark
Snor
kelle
rsen
tere
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ew
ater
A
nony
mou
s(1
995)
20P
rior
toen
dof
1994
Kim
beB
ayar
ea
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)1
412
+S1
50)1
018
+E
Not
stat
edIn
divi
dual
sor
smal
lpo
ds(lt
4)F
orag
ing
ona
scal
lope
d-ha
mm
erhe
adsh
ark
lsquolsquoUnc
omm
on
Are
occa
sion
ally
seen
wit
hin
Kim
beB
ay
Kill
erw
hale
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ere
seen
onth
ree
occa
sion
sin
1994
A
tB
radf
ord
Shoa
lth
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vebe
enl
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eati
nga
scal
lope
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mm
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ark
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Mun
dy(1
994)
2119
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nce
04)4
736
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stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
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T
Row
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pc
2219
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land
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nce
04)4
736
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46)1
052
+E
Not
stat
edO
neor
mor
epo
dsea
chye
ar
T
Row
land
25
pc
23N
ovem
ber
1996
Nea
rIn
glis
reef
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)14
12+S
150
)10
18+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2N
ofu
rthe
rde
tails
stat
ed
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
24D
ecem
ber
1996
Wes
tern
end
ofN
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land
05)3
895
+S1
48)1
581
+E
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bser
ved
from
boat
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M
B
enja
min
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c
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arly
Dec
embe
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9608
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WP
R
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
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rita
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land
05)1
412
+S1
50)1
018
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
6(1
adul
tm
ale)
Fol
low
edto
Res
torf
Isla
nd
M
Ben
jam
in1
pc
162 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
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tails
Sour
ce
26P
rior
to19
96E
ast
Cap
eM
ilne
Bay
10)1
464
+S1
50)5
335
+ESu
rfac
eph
otog
raph
pa
ge14
31
(adu
ltm
ale)
For
agin
gon
asu
nsh
Sn
orke
lled
wit
hth
eki
ller
wha
lew
hile
itw
asea
ting
It
brou
ght
the
dead
sun
shto
war
dsth
esu
rfac
eth
enle
tit
drop
W
hen
the
sun
shha
dal
mos
tsu
nkfr
omsi
ght
the
kille
rw
hale
dive
dfo
rit
br
ough
tit
back
toth
esu
rfac
ean
ddr
oppe
dag
ain
He
did
this
seve
ral
tim
esbe
fore
swim
min
gaw
ay
lsquolsquoOrc
aar
ese
enre
gula
rly
atth
issi
tersquorsquo
Hal
stea
d(1
996)
27M
arch
1997
Wit
uIs
land
sW
est
New
Bri
tain
Pro
vinc
e04
)41
57+S
149
)25
76+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
Not
stat
edF
orag
ing
ona
blue
-spo
tted
ray
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atM
VF
eBre
na
Gle
eson
(199
7)B
G
lees
on26
ampM
B
enja
min
1p
c28
Pri
orto
Apr
il19
98L
ama
Shoa
lW
itu
Isla
nds
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inP
rovi
nce
04)4
310
+S1
49)3
288
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3O
bser
ved
from
boat
Sta
rD
ance
rE
nter
edw
ater
wit
hth
ean
imal
s
And
erso
n(1
998)
29A
pril
1988
Pan
asag
usag
uIs
land
sC
alva
dos
chai
n10
)58
30+S
152
)37
73+E
2O
nth
esu
rfac
eju
stou
tsid
eth
ela
goon
alon
gth
ere
ef
Tid
eha
dju
stch
ange
d
JK
inch
27
30N
ovem
ber
1999
Mw
ataw
aB
each
K
iriw
ina
Isla
nd
Miln
eB
ayP
rovi
nce
08)3
329
+S1
51)1
174
+E
App
roxi
mat
ely
10T
hegr
oup
appe
ared
atm
id-d
ay
follo
win
gth
eco
ntou
rof
the
reef
nort
hwar
d
JL
inds
trom
30
pc
3119
99N
WN
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e10
)15
42+S
150
)59
62+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2T
wo
kille
rw
hale
sca
me
clos
ein
toth
edi
nghy
C
utth
een
gine
and
they
swam
oV
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
3219
99N
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e10
)17
30+S
150
)59
25+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
alon
gsid
eth
eve
ssel
then
swam
oVag
ain
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
163Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
33P
rior
toM
ay20
00G
oshe
nSt
rait
E
ast
Cap
eN
ewG
uine
ato
Cap
eV
ente
nant
N
orm
anby
Isla
nd10
)12
43+S
150
)03
35+E
Not
stat
edlsquoF
requ
entl
ysi
ghte
drsquo
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
34A
ugus
t20
00R
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)17
30+S
150
)06
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
6(1
sub-
adul
tm
ale)
Sub-
adul
tm
ale
had
whi
tepa
tch
onri
ght-
hand
side
ofdo
rsal
n
M
John
son3
1p
c
35D
ecem
ber
2000
Rai
Coa
st
Said
or
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e05
)36
02+S
146
)26
31+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
4ndash5
Seen
kille
rw
hale
sse
vera
lti
mes
mov
ing
alon
gth
eco
ast
Inbo
aton
eda
yan
dw
assu
rrou
nded
byab
out
4or
5of
them
O
nesp
y-ho
pped
B
Lea
hy32
pc
3620
00C
ham
iso
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)4
007
+S1
50)2
789
+E
Boa
tM
VF
eBri
naob
serv
eda
kille
rw
hale
give
birt
hth
eca
lfsw
imm
ing
wit
hit
sum
bilic
alco
rdst
illat
tach
ed
Kill
erw
hale
sigh
ting
sar
eco
mm
onat
leas
t2ndash
3ti
mes
aye
ar
Via
E
ampD
A
nom
13
pc
37M
arch
2001
Sout
hK
iller
ton
Isla
nd
Miln
eB
ay10
)21
23+S
150
)39
51+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2(1
lsquobig
rsquo1
lsquosm
allrsquo)
Com
ing
into
the
bay
wit
hth
ecu
rren
tSe
enfr
oman
outr
igge
rca
noe
M
Lei
ban3
3p
c
38N
ovem
ber
2001
Bet
wee
nW
PR
an
dR
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)21
82+S
150
)27
89+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3C
lose
into
shor
e10
0sp
inne
rdo
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gh-s
peed
porp
oisi
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rth
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ctio
naw
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omki
ller
wha
les
M
Pri
or16
ampT
P
elus
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c
3920
01B
etw
een
Egu
mat
oll
ampW
oodl
ark
Mad
auIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)06
30+S
152
)07
94+
No
phot
ogra
phs
2A
nim
als
wer
ehe
adin
gto
war
dsG
awa
Seen
from
alo
cal
trad
ing
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Hiw
i
M
Lei
ban3
3p
c
164 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
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Pho
togr
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V
ideo
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Num
ber
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For
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Cap
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10)1
298
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50)5
388
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No
phot
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phs
1Se
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h(w
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from
the
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wth
ean
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34
pc
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ome
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Isla
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Mad
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371
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phs
5(1
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35
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02)
Eas
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Miln
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)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
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phs
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from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
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und
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ater
B
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43A
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02)
Eas
tC
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Miln
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)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
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phs
2C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
B
D
isila
le34
pc
44U
nkno
wn
Rav
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betw
een
Eas
tC
ape
ampN
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
10)1
500
+S1
50)5
605
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1H
eadi
ngto
war
dsN
orm
anby
Isla
nd
follo
win
gth
ecu
rren
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B
Dis
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34
pc
45U
nkno
wn
Star
Ree
fs
Lus
anca
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land
sT
robr
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Isla
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08)1
951
+S1
48)5
699
+E
Und
erw
ater
vide
otap
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ing
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man
tara
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bser
ved
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boat
MV
FeB
rina
T
P
elus
o8p
c
46U
nkno
wn
Bag
abag
Isla
nd
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e04
)49
93+S
146
)19
49+E
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dult
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Stet
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Bay
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ord
No
47
this
tabl
e)
Dis
tanc
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twee
nis
am
inim
umof
350
km
SR
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ie36
pc
47U
nkno
wn
Stet
tin
Bay
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)23
71+S
150
)08
28+E
1(a
dult
mal
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Bag
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Isla
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ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
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tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
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adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
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iller
wha
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gth
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ast
App
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hed
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and
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ith
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Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
26P
rior
to19
96E
ast
Cap
eM
ilne
Bay
10)1
464
+S1
50)5
335
+ESu
rfac
eph
otog
raph
pa
ge14
31
(adu
ltm
ale)
For
agin
gon
asu
nsh
Sn
orke
lled
wit
hth
eki
ller
wha
lew
hile
itw
asea
ting
It
brou
ght
the
dead
sun
shto
war
dsth
esu
rfac
eth
enle
tit
drop
W
hen
the
sun
shha
dal
mos
tsu
nkfr
omsi
ght
the
kille
rw
hale
dive
dfo
rit
br
ough
tit
back
toth
esu
rfac
ean
ddr
oppe
dag
ain
He
did
this
seve
ral
tim
esbe
fore
swim
min
gaw
ay
lsquolsquoOrc
aar
ese
enre
gula
rly
atth
issi
tersquorsquo
Hal
stea
d(1
996)
27M
arch
1997
Wit
uIs
land
sW
est
New
Bri
tain
Pro
vinc
e04
)41
57+S
149
)25
76+E
Und
erw
ater
phot
ogra
phs
Not
stat
edF
orag
ing
ona
blue
-spo
tted
ray
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atM
VF
eBre
na
Gle
eson
(199
7)B
G
lees
on26
ampM
B
enja
min
1p
c28
Pri
orto
Apr
il19
98L
ama
Shoa
lW
itu
Isla
nds
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inP
rovi
nce
04)4
310
+S1
49)3
288
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3O
bser
ved
from
boat
Sta
rD
ance
rE
nter
edw
ater
wit
hth
ean
imal
s
And
erso
n(1
998)
29A
pril
1988
Pan
asag
usag
uIs
land
sC
alva
dos
chai
n10
)58
30+S
152
)37
73+E
2O
nth
esu
rfac
eju
stou
tsid
eth
ela
goon
alon
gth
ere
ef
Tid
eha
dju
stch
ange
d
JK
inch
27
30N
ovem
ber
1999
Mw
ataw
aB
each
K
iriw
ina
Isla
nd
Miln
eB
ayP
rovi
nce
08)3
329
+S1
51)1
174
+E
App
roxi
mat
ely
10T
hegr
oup
appe
ared
atm
id-d
ay
follo
win
gth
eco
ntou
rof
the
reef
nort
hwar
d
JL
inds
trom
30
pc
3119
99N
WN
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e10
)15
42+S
150
)59
62+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2T
wo
kille
rw
hale
sca
me
clos
ein
toth
edi
nghy
C
utth
een
gine
and
they
swam
oV
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
3219
99N
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e10
)17
30+S
150
)59
25+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
alon
gsid
eth
eve
ssel
then
swam
oVag
ain
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
163Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
33P
rior
toM
ay20
00G
oshe
nSt
rait
E
ast
Cap
eN
ewG
uine
ato
Cap
eV
ente
nant
N
orm
anby
Isla
nd10
)12
43+S
150
)03
35+E
Not
stat
edlsquoF
requ
entl
ysi
ghte
drsquo
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
34A
ugus
t20
00R
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)17
30+S
150
)06
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
6(1
sub-
adul
tm
ale)
Sub-
adul
tm
ale
had
whi
tepa
tch
onri
ght-
hand
side
ofdo
rsal
n
M
John
son3
1p
c
35D
ecem
ber
2000
Rai
Coa
st
Said
or
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e05
)36
02+S
146
)26
31+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
4ndash5
Seen
kille
rw
hale
sse
vera
lti
mes
mov
ing
alon
gth
eco
ast
Inbo
aton
eda
yan
dw
assu
rrou
nded
byab
out
4or
5of
them
O
nesp
y-ho
pped
B
Lea
hy32
pc
3620
00C
ham
iso
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)4
007
+S1
50)2
789
+E
Boa
tM
VF
eBri
naob
serv
eda
kille
rw
hale
give
birt
hth
eca
lfsw
imm
ing
wit
hit
sum
bilic
alco
rdst
illat
tach
ed
Kill
erw
hale
sigh
ting
sar
eco
mm
onat
leas
t2ndash
3ti
mes
aye
ar
Via
E
ampD
A
nom
13
pc
37M
arch
2001
Sout
hK
iller
ton
Isla
nd
Miln
eB
ay10
)21
23+S
150
)39
51+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2(1
lsquobig
rsquo1
lsquosm
allrsquo)
Com
ing
into
the
bay
wit
hth
ecu
rren
tSe
enfr
oman
outr
igge
rca
noe
M
Lei
ban3
3p
c
38N
ovem
ber
2001
Bet
wee
nW
PR
an
dR
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)21
82+S
150
)27
89+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3C
lose
into
shor
e10
0sp
inne
rdo
lphi
nshi
gh-s
peed
porp
oisi
ngin
ano
rth
east
ern
dire
ctio
naw
ayfr
omki
ller
wha
les
M
Pri
or16
ampT
P
elus
o8p
c
3920
01B
etw
een
Egu
mat
oll
ampW
oodl
ark
Mad
auIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)06
30+S
152
)07
94+
No
phot
ogra
phs
2A
nim
als
wer
ehe
adin
gto
war
dsG
awa
Seen
from
alo
cal
trad
ing
boat
Hiw
i
M
Lei
ban3
3p
c
164 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
4020
02B
etw
een
Boi
aboi
aW
aga
Isla
ndan
dE
ast
Cap
eM
ilne
Bay
10)1
298
+S1
50)5
388
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1Se
asw
ere
roug
h(w
ind
from
the
SEse
ctor
)sa
wth
ean
imal
inth
ele
eof
the
isla
nds
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
41lsquoS
ome
year
sag
orsquoM
anum
Isla
nd
Nor
thof
Mad
ang
04)0
371
5S
145)
065
15E
No
phot
ogra
phs
5(1
adul
tm
ale
1ca
lf)
Wit
hth
emfo
rov
er1
hC
de
Wit
35
pc
42M
arch
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
fo
und
inde
epw
ater
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
43A
pril
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
B
D
isila
le34
pc
44U
nkno
wn
Rav
enC
hann
el
betw
een
Eas
tC
ape
ampN
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
10)1
500
+S1
50)5
605
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1H
eadi
ngto
war
dsN
orm
anby
Isla
nd
follo
win
gth
ecu
rren
t
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
45U
nkno
wn
Star
Ree
fs
Lus
anca
yIs
land
sT
robr
iand
Isla
nds
08)1
951
+S1
48)5
699
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Und
erw
ater
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otap
eF
orag
ing
ona
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bser
ved
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MV
FeB
rina
T
P
elus
o8p
c
46U
nkno
wn
Bag
abag
Isla
nd
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e04
)49
93+S
146
)19
49+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Stet
tin
Bay
(rec
ord
No
47
this
tabl
e)
Dis
tanc
ebe
twee
nis
am
inim
umof
350
km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
47U
nkno
wn
Stet
tin
Bay
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)23
71+S
150
)08
28+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Bag
abag
Isla
nd(r
ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
33P
rior
toM
ay20
00G
oshe
nSt
rait
E
ast
Cap
eN
ewG
uine
ato
Cap
eV
ente
nant
N
orm
anby
Isla
nd10
)12
43+S
150
)03
35+E
Not
stat
edlsquoF
requ
entl
ysi
ghte
drsquo
D
Mit
chel
l28
pc
34A
ugus
t20
00R
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)17
30+S
150
)06
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
6(1
sub-
adul
tm
ale)
Sub-
adul
tm
ale
had
whi
tepa
tch
onri
ght-
hand
side
ofdo
rsal
n
M
John
son3
1p
c
35D
ecem
ber
2000
Rai
Coa
st
Said
or
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e05
)36
02+S
146
)26
31+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
4ndash5
Seen
kille
rw
hale
sse
vera
lti
mes
mov
ing
alon
gth
eco
ast
Inbo
aton
eda
yan
dw
assu
rrou
nded
byab
out
4or
5of
them
O
nesp
y-ho
pped
B
Lea
hy32
pc
3620
00C
ham
iso
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)4
007
+S1
50)2
789
+E
Boa
tM
VF
eBri
naob
serv
eda
kille
rw
hale
give
birt
hth
eca
lfsw
imm
ing
wit
hit
sum
bilic
alco
rdst
illat
tach
ed
Kill
erw
hale
sigh
ting
sar
eco
mm
onat
leas
t2ndash
3ti
mes
aye
ar
Via
E
ampD
A
nom
13
pc
37M
arch
2001
Sout
hK
iller
ton
Isla
nd
Miln
eB
ay10
)21
23+S
150
)39
51+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2(1
lsquobig
rsquo1
lsquosm
allrsquo)
Com
ing
into
the
bay
wit
hth
ecu
rren
tSe
enfr
oman
outr
igge
rca
noe
M
Lei
ban3
3p
c
38N
ovem
ber
2001
Bet
wee
nW
PR
an
dR
esto
rfIs
land
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)21
82+S
150
)27
89+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
3C
lose
into
shor
e10
0sp
inne
rdo
lphi
nshi
gh-s
peed
porp
oisi
ngin
ano
rth
east
ern
dire
ctio
naw
ayfr
omki
ller
wha
les
M
Pri
or16
ampT
P
elus
o8p
c
3920
01B
etw
een
Egu
mat
oll
ampW
oodl
ark
Mad
auIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)06
30+S
152
)07
94+
No
phot
ogra
phs
2A
nim
als
wer
ehe
adin
gto
war
dsG
awa
Seen
from
alo
cal
trad
ing
boat
Hiw
i
M
Lei
ban3
3p
c
164 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
4020
02B
etw
een
Boi
aboi
aW
aga
Isla
ndan
dE
ast
Cap
eM
ilne
Bay
10)1
298
+S1
50)5
388
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1Se
asw
ere
roug
h(w
ind
from
the
SEse
ctor
)sa
wth
ean
imal
inth
ele
eof
the
isla
nds
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
41lsquoS
ome
year
sag
orsquoM
anum
Isla
nd
Nor
thof
Mad
ang
04)0
371
5S
145)
065
15E
No
phot
ogra
phs
5(1
adul
tm
ale
1ca
lf)
Wit
hth
emfo
rov
er1
hC
de
Wit
35
pc
42M
arch
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
fo
und
inde
epw
ater
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
43A
pril
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
B
D
isila
le34
pc
44U
nkno
wn
Rav
enC
hann
el
betw
een
Eas
tC
ape
ampN
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
10)1
500
+S1
50)5
605
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1H
eadi
ngto
war
dsN
orm
anby
Isla
nd
follo
win
gth
ecu
rren
t
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
45U
nkno
wn
Star
Ree
fs
Lus
anca
yIs
land
sT
robr
iand
Isla
nds
08)1
951
+S1
48)5
699
+E
Und
erw
ater
vide
otap
eF
orag
ing
ona
man
tara
yO
bser
ved
from
boat
MV
FeB
rina
T
P
elus
o8p
c
46U
nkno
wn
Bag
abag
Isla
nd
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e04
)49
93+S
146
)19
49+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Stet
tin
Bay
(rec
ord
No
47
this
tabl
e)
Dis
tanc
ebe
twee
nis
am
inim
umof
350
km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
47U
nkno
wn
Stet
tin
Bay
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)23
71+S
150
)08
28+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Bag
abag
Isla
nd(r
ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
4020
02B
etw
een
Boi
aboi
aW
aga
Isla
ndan
dE
ast
Cap
eM
ilne
Bay
10)1
298
+S1
50)5
388
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1Se
asw
ere
roug
h(w
ind
from
the
SEse
ctor
)sa
wth
ean
imal
inth
ele
eof
the
isla
nds
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
41lsquoS
ome
year
sag
orsquoM
anum
Isla
nd
Nor
thof
Mad
ang
04)0
371
5S
145)
065
15E
No
phot
ogra
phs
5(1
adul
tm
ale
1ca
lf)
Wit
hth
emfo
rov
er1
hC
de
Wit
35
pc
42M
arch
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
fo
und
inde
epw
ater
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
43A
pril
(yea
run
know
npr
ior
to20
02)
Eas
tC
ape
Miln
eB
ay10
)13
97+S
150
)52
83+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
2C
ame
from
the
dire
ctio
nof
Cap
eV
ogel
B
D
isila
le34
pc
44U
nkno
wn
Rav
enC
hann
el
betw
een
Eas
tC
ape
ampN
uaka
taIs
land
M
ilne
Bay
10)1
500
+S1
50)5
605
+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
1H
eadi
ngto
war
dsN
orm
anby
Isla
nd
follo
win
gth
ecu
rren
t
B
Dis
ilale
34
pc
45U
nkno
wn
Star
Ree
fs
Lus
anca
yIs
land
sT
robr
iand
Isla
nds
08)1
951
+S1
48)5
699
+E
Und
erw
ater
vide
otap
eF
orag
ing
ona
man
tara
yO
bser
ved
from
boat
MV
FeB
rina
T
P
elus
o8p
c
46U
nkno
wn
Bag
abag
Isla
nd
Mad
ang
Pro
vinc
e04
)49
93+S
146
)19
49+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Stet
tin
Bay
(rec
ord
No
47
this
tabl
e)
Dis
tanc
ebe
twee
nis
am
inim
umof
350
km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
47U
nkno
wn
Stet
tin
Bay
K
imbe
Bay
W
est
New
Bri
tain
Isla
nd05
)23
71+S
150
)08
28+E
1(a
dult
mal
e)T
his
adul
tm
ale
isth
ough
tto
beth
esa
me
mal
esi
ghte
dat
Bag
abag
Isla
nd(r
ecor
dN
o46
th
ista
ble)
D
ista
nce
betw
een
isa
min
imum
of35
0km
SR
itch
ie36
pc
165Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Tab
le2
Con
tinu
ed
Dat
eamp
Tim
e
Loc
atio
nL
atit
ude
ampL
ongi
tude
Pho
togr
aphs
V
ideo
tape
Num
ber
ofan
imal
s(s
exa
ge)
For
agin
gbe
havi
our
Oth
erde
tails
Sour
ce
48U
nkno
wn
Kim
beB
ay
Wes
tN
ewB
rita
inIs
land
05)2
263
+S1
50)1
014
+E
2(1
calf
)K
iller
wha
lew
ith
ade
adca
lfob
serv
edun
derw
ater
T
P
elus
o8p
c
49U
nkno
wn
lsquoPin
nacl
esrsquo
15m
iles
sout
hea
stof
Por
tM
ores
by09
)42
92+S
147
)24
05+E
Surf
ace
phot
ogra
phs
lsquoFam
ilygr
ouprsquo
(1ad
ult
mal
e)K
iller
wha
les
wer
etr
avel
ling
ina
sout
hea
ster
lydi
rect
ion
alon
gth
eco
ast
App
roac
hed
boat
and
inte
ract
edw
ith
snor
kelle
rs
Dep
arte
dw
hen
scub
aus
ed
Mal
esp
y-ho
pped
next
tobo
at
K
Bal
dwin
37
pc
50U
nkno
wn
Pla
net
Cha
nnel
N
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)3
998
+S1
50)2
947
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
For
agin
gon
ash
ark
(spe
cies
unkn
own)
O
bser
ved
from
boat
Tia
ta
Via
Eamp
D
Ano
m13
pc
51U
nkno
wn
Big
Fis
hR
eef
NE
ofN
ewH
anov
erIs
land
02)2
163
+15
0)22
87+
E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
Obs
erve
dfr
ombo
atT
iata
V
iaE
amp
D
Ano
m13
pc
52U
nkno
wn
War
dH
unt
Stra
it
Cap
eV
ogel
M
ilne
Bay
Pro
vinc
e09
)37
32+S
150
)05
45+E
No
phot
ogra
phs
Occ
asio
nally
seen
D
M
itch
ell2
8p
c
53U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
54U
nkno
wn
Wah
ooP
oint
M
ilne
Bay
10)2
731
+S1
50)4
658
+E
Not
stat
edN
otst
ated
No
furt
her
deta
ilsgi
ven
Rv
ande
rL
oos
38
pc
55U
nkno
wn
Bet
wee
nB
asal
isk
Poi
ntamp
Eas
tC
ape
nort
hsi
deof
Miln
eB
ay10
)23
40+S
150
)59
28+E
Surf
ace
vide
otap
eM
H
eigh
es39
pc
56U
nkno
wn
Mar
shal
Ben
nett
Gro
up
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s08
)51
14+S
151
)54
86+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
57U
nkno
wn
Egu
mA
toll
Tro
bria
ndIs
land
s09
)24
09+S
151
)53
90+E
M
Hei
ghes
39
pc
See
Tab
le1
for
foot
note
s
166 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
records of manta ray (Manta birostris) (sightingNo 3 Table 1 sighting No 45 Table 2) and onerecord of blue-spotted ray (Aetobatus narinari)(sighting No 27 Table 2)
The earliest records of killer whales in PapuaNew Guinea waters describe the animals removing sh (tuna of various species) from long-lines(Iwashita et al 1963 Sivasubramaniam 1964) Anadditional two species of n- sh have been ident-i ed as free-swimming prey Indo-Paci c sail shIstiophorus platypterus (sighting No 12 Table 1)and sun sh Mola mola (sighting No 26 Table 2)
During the interaction between an estimated 20killer whales and 12 sperm whales (Physeter macro-cephalus) (sighting No 16 Table 1) anecdotalinformation suggested that the killer whales couldhave harassed the sperm whales in an attempt toattack them Subsequent to the two species separat-ing into their conspeci c groups the sperm whaleswere observed for approximately 20 min and theirbehaviour did not appear to change from when rst
encountered Divers entered the water and wereable to take underwater photographs The killerwhales were observed for approximately 20 minas they traveled at high speed in a tight group ina north east direction until contact was lost(T Peluso pers comm)
During two other killer whale encounters spin-ner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were sightedporpoising at high speed In encounter sightingNo 38 (Table 2) a group of three killer whales wereobserved oV Restorf Island After following themfor a short period a group of approximately 100spinner dolphins were observed to move away fromthe vicinity porpoising at high speed The killerwhales were not observed to follow the dolphinsand were not resighted In the second encounter(sighting No 34 Table 1) a group of approxi-mately 50 spinner dolphins were observed toporpoise at high speed away from an areawhere killer whales were last sighted surfacingapproximately 30 min earlier
Figure 2 Approximate locations of lsquolsquoData-de cientrsquorsquo records of killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea waters(extracted from Table 2)
167Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
DiscussionAlthough typically considered a temperate to coldwater species killer whales have been reported fromtropical areas around the world (eg Dahlheimet al 1982) Sightings in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia although not commonare widespread (Table 3) In addition to thosesightings listed in Table 3 there are the records fromPapua New Guinea presented here (Tables 1 and 2)From these it is apparent that killer whales are notuncommon in Papua New Guinea waters Thepeople living around the coastline occasionally sightthem (Table 1 and 2) and call them in PidginEnglish black white bigpla dolphin (black andwhite big-fellow dolphin) The people living in the
southern islands call them Ulaulasi in the Tawalalanguage It is of note that local Papua New Guineapeople have names for this species in that they arefamiliar enough with them to warrant a speci cname (ie they do not just classify them as alsquogeneralrsquo dolphin) This is not the case in NewZealand were although the killer whales are verycoastal in their habits (Visser 1999a Visser2000b) the local Maori people have no names normyths or legends about them (Best 1982a Best1982b Grace 1907 Orbell 1995) The vernacularname lsquoorcarsquo is used in Papua New Guinea havingbeen introduced by the expatriate communitywhich is primarily from Australia and NewZealand
Figure 3 Killer whale sightings in Papua New Guinea plotted by month where known (n=52) Dataextracted from Tables 1 and 2
Figure 4 Female killer whale and calf (catalogue numbers PNG4 amp PNG5 respectively)Photographed oV Cape Huessener Kimbe Bay West New Britain Island Papua New Guinea15 April 2002 The eye-patch of the calf is clearly visible as is a notch at the anterior base of femalersquosdorsal n Both animals show the typical black and white pigmentation pattern of killer whales fromthis area Photo I N Visser
168 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Although there were only 52 sightings in PapuaNew Guinea waters for which the month wasknown (Fig 3) it appears that killer whales can befound between March and December inclusiveIwashita et al (1963) commented that killer whaleswill stay in the same region (which included PapuaNew Guinea waters) for at least three months andbased on predation from long-lines they tend toremain in tropical waters throughout the year
Apparent peaks in sightings (or lack of sightings)recorded here may be due to observer bias andordata collection bias (eg weather conditions maynot be conducive to cetacean sightings during thelsquowetrsquo season of DecemberndashFebruary) Observer biasis likely to be a factor contributing to the highnumber of sightings in April eg a survey con-ducted during this month (Visser 2002) It is alsolikely to be a contributing factor to the high numberof sightings from the Kimbe Bay area (567 oflsquocon rmedrsquo sightings) This area is one of the fewplaces in Papua New Guinea where for many yearsdive boats have made daily trips more than venautical miles from base (M Benjamin perscomm)
Because there are only two matches within thecatalogue and both are within the same area ofKimbe Bay it is not possible to suggest any pat-terns of movement The two killer whales with greyunder- ukes were not the same animal (Visserunpublished data) and they were observed in dif-ferent locations (one oV Wuvulu Island and theother at Kimbe Bay) Therefore it is possible thatmore killer whales in Papua New Guinea watersmay have grey under- ukes and this may be anindicative pigmentation feature for this population(Visser 2002b) Further collection of photographsand comparison with catalogues from adjacentareas is encouraged
Although the primary food source for thispopulation of killer whales is unknown elasmo-
branchs form at least part of their prey with the rst documentation worldwide of killer whalesfeeding on scalloped-hammerhead sharks greyreef sharks and blue-spotted rays (Fertl et al1996)
There are records of killer whales feeding on rays(albeit diVerent species) from Brazil the GalaacutepagosIslands and New Zealand (Fertl et al 1996 Visser1999a) and although a population of killer whalesoV New Zealand has been recorded eating a widerange of elasmobranchs (n=8 species) (Visser1999a Visser 2000a Visser et al 2000) they havenot been recorded foraging on grey reef sharksscalloped-hammerhead sharks or manta raysHowever grey reef sharks are not found in thetemperate waters of the area and scalloped-hammerhead sharks and manta rays are not com-mon perhaps contributing to these species notrecorded as prey for New Zealand killer whalesThe only other records of killer whales feeding onmanta rays are from the Galaacutepagos Islands (Fertlet al 1996)
It is noteworthy that where detailed observationswere made all elasmobranchs were held upside-down (Table 1) In some instances the prey werestill alive while being carried or when subsequentlydropped New Zealand killer whales have beenobserved lsquo ippingrsquo live rays dorsoventrally (Visser2000b) and in all instances oV New Zealand whereelectric rays (Torpedo fairchildii) were observed asprey they were held dorsoventrally (Visser unpub-lished data) Elasmobranchs can be a high-risk prey(eg the death of a killer whale was attributedto a sting-ray spine (Duignan et al 2000) anddefences such as teeth and electrical charges arealso potentially lethal) It is possible given thatelasmobranchs can be induced to exhibit lsquotonicimmobilityrsquo (an unlearned response characterisedby a state of immobility which may last from lessthan a min to several h) (Henningson 1994) that
Table 3 Sightings of killer whales in tropical Oceania Indo-Paci c and South-east Asia (for Papua New Guinea sightingssee Tables 1 and 2)
Location Source
Borneo Beasley (1997) Rudolph (1997)Federated States of Yap Reeves (1999) B Acker (pers comm)Indonesia Barnes (1991) Hembree (1980) Rudolph (1997) Sivasubramaniam (1964)New Guinea Iwashita (1963)Malaysia Corkeren (1995)Naru Eldredge (1991)New Caledonia Das (1993) Garrigue and Greaves (2001)Palau Iwashita (1963)Solomon Islands Newbert (1995) Shimada (1995)Thailand Andersen (1999) Chantrapornsyl (1996)Tonga I N Visser (unpublished data)
169Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
the killer whales invert them dorsoventrally torender them defenceless However this should beinterpreted with caution as a lack of response fromthe prey may be the result of injury and theposition the prey is held by the killer whales may bea consequence of prey shape
Killer whales have been reported taking sh oVlong-lines in many areas of the world (eg Visser2000a) and although tuna have been reported asprey oV Papua New Guinea this seems to bepredominately associated with removing them fromlong-lines (eg Iwashita 1963 Sivasubramaniam1964 Visser 2000a) Killer whales take sword- sh (Xiphias gladius) from long-lines in Brazilianwaters (della Rosa 1995 Secchi amp Vaske 1998)but the instance reported here of the killer whalesforaging on Indo-Paci c sail sh is the rst forthis prey species and also as a free-swimming preyTwo other records exist for killer whales foragingon sun sh both from the South Paci cmdashone oVNew Zealand (Visser 2001) and one oV the GreatBarrier Reef Australia (Gladstone 1988)
JeVerson et al (1991) recorded interactionsbetween killer whales and other marine mammalsand divided killer whale interactions with othermarine mammals into two types predatory andnon-predatoryThey reported most attacks on largewhales (eg sperm whales) were by groups of oneto ve killer whales which is well below the groupsize associated with the sperm whales in sightingNo 16 (Table 1) Although neither predatorybehaviour nor avoidance behaviour was observedacoustic harassment by either species cannot beruled-out as no hydrophone recordings were made
JeVerson et al (1991) did not list any predatoryinteractions between killer whales and spinnerdolphins and listed only one record of non-predatory behaviour where a single killer whalewhich had escaped captivity was seen associatingwith spinner dolphins oV Hawaii (Pryor 1973) Thegroup size (of both prey and predator) for the twoevents involving killer whales and spinner dolphinsin Papua New Guinea waters (sighting No 34Table 1 and sighting No 38 Table 2) could havein uenced the responses of the animals Group sizesof the killer whales recorded in these interactionswere ve and three respectively Although JeVersonet al (1991) recorded instances of harassment ofprey by small groups of killer whales ( 5) theysuggested that attacks on large herds of dolphins($ 10 prey) are most common by groups of 6ndash10killer whales
Based on JeVerson et al (1991) we classify thethree events presented here (involving killer whalessperm whales and spinner dolphins) as non-predatory because there was no apparent attemptsat predation by the killer whales (again acousticharassment cannot be ruled-out)
It is generally accepted that marine mammalsform an important part of the diet of some killerwhale populations (Baird 1994 Baird 2000 Bairdamp Dill 1995 Barrett-Lennard et al 1996 Ford ampEllis 1999 Visser 1999c) Although they have notbeen recorded as prey in Papua New Guinea it isunlikely that the dolphins would ee the vicinity ofkiller whales if they were not potential prey Flightresponses are considered to be lsquoexpensiversquo in termsof energy expenditure (Ydenberg 1986) but theyare an eVective predator avoidance strategy Itis likely as marine mammal research expands inPapua New Guinea cetaceans will be reported asprey for killer whales in these waters
Aragones et al (1997) suggested that preliminaryinvestigations for cetaceans in developing countriescould collect anecdotal information and use plat-forms of opportunity because resources are oftenlimited for starting such a project This protocolwas followed and the results presented in a prelimi-nary cetacean survey of Kimbe Bay (Visser 2002)and herein suggesting that a research project tar-geting killer whales is not only feasible but due tothe lack of robust information about the species inthis area urgent Due to the time constraints forplatforms of opportunity such as scuba-divingboats and the lack of precise data from anecdotalinformation we believe that a dedicated vessel withtrained observers would be most successful Such adedicated long-term project would provide scien-ti c information to assist government and non-government organisations in protecting theseanimals in Papua New Guinea where their status isunknown
AcknowledgmentsM amp C Benjamin of Walindi Plantation Resorthosted the Kimbe Bay Preliminary Cetacean Surveyand provided logistical support (including vesselscrew and fuel) without their kind support thisstudy would not have been possible T Pelusoassisted extensively with data collection and logis-tics Many people provided access to unpublishedreports of orca in Papua New Guinea and theirresponse is gratefully acknowledged D Eglitis ADutton S Ritchie the crew of Fe Brina and thelsquodive crewrsquo at Walindi were helpful beyond wordsJ Grove and W Zender of Zegrahm Expeditionsallowed research to be conducted during theirPapua New Guinea Expedition Thanks to BNickel who compiled the maps J Berghan PMunday J McDowell T JeVerson S Imberti andC Guinet provided helpful comments and reviewedthe manuscript
Literature CitedAndersen M amp Kinze C C (1999) Annotated checklist
and identi cation key to the whales dolphins and
170 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
porpoises (order Cetacea) of Thailand and adjacentwaters Natural History Bulletin of Siam Society 4727ndash62
Anonymous (1995) Walindi amp FeBrina NewsletterUnpublished Report Walindi Plantation Resort POBox 4 Kimbe Bay WNBP Papua New GuineaKimbe
Aragones L V JeVerson T A amp Marsh H(1997) Marine mammal survey techniques applicablein developing countries Asian Maine Biology 14 15ndash39
Baird R W (1994) Foraging behaviour and ecologyof transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) PhDDissertation Simon Fraser University BurnabyBritish Columbia Canada
Baird R W (2000) The killer whale Foraging specializa-tions and group hunting In Cetacean Societies FieldStudies of Dolphins and Whales J Mann R CConnor P L Tyack and H Whitehead (eds)pp 127ndash153 University of Chicago Press Chicago
Baird R W amp Dill L M (1995) Occurrence andbehaviour of transient killer whales Seasonal and pod-speci c variability foraging behaviour and preyhandling Canadian Journal of Zoology 73 1300ndash1311
Baird R W amp Stacey P J (1988) Variation in saddlepatch pigmentation in populations of killer whales(Orcinus orca) from British Columbia Alaska andWashington State Canadian Journal of Zoology 662582ndash2585
Barnes R H (1991) Indigenous whaling and porpoisehunting in Indonesia United Nations EnvironmentProgram Marine Mammal Technical Report UNEPReport Number 3 99ndash106
Barrett-Lennard L G Ford J K B amp Heise K A(1996) The mixed blessing of echolocation diVerencesin sonar use by sh-eating and mammal-eating killerwhales Animal Behavior 51 553ndash565
Beasley I amp JeVerson T A (1997) Marine Mammals ofBorneo A preliminary checklist Sarawak MuseumJournal LI (No 72 (New Series)) 193ndash216
Berghan J amp Visser I N (2000) Vertebral columnmalformations in New Zealand delphinids with areview of cases world-wide Aquatic Mammals 26 17ndash25
Best E (1982a) Maori Religion and Mythology Volume IGovernment Printer Dominion Museum Bulletin 11Wellington
Best E (1982b) Maori Religion amp Mythology Volume IIGovernment Printer Dominion Museum BulletinNo 11 Wellington
Bigg M (1982) An assessment of killer whale (Orcinusorca) stocks oV Vancouver Island British ColumbiaReport of the International Whaling Commission 32655ndash666
Bigg M A Olesiuk P F Ellis G M Ford J K Bamp Balcomb K C (1990) Social organization andgenealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) incoastal waters of British Columbia and WashingtonState Report of the International Whaling CommissionSpecial Issue 12 383ndash405
Chantrapornsyl S Andulyanukosol K amp Kittiwathana-wong K (1996) Records of cetaceans in ThailandPhuket Marine Biological Research Bulletin 61 39ndash63
Corkeren P (1995) Report on the trip to the easternMalaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and to NegaraBrunei DarussalammdashApril May 1995 Unpublishedreport
Cousteau J-M amp Richards M (1989) Cousteaursquos PapuaNew Guinea Journey Harry N Abrams IncorporatedNew York
Czarny M (1994) A fax to Irv from Walindi DiveLog Australia September 6
Dahlheim M E Leatherwood S amp Perrin W F (1982)Distribution of killer whales in the warm temperate andtropical eastern Paci c Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 32 647ndash653
dalla Rosa L (1995) Interactions with the longline shery and information on the feeding habits of thekiller whale Orcinus orca Linnaeus 1758 (CetaceaDelphinidae) in south and southeast Brazil MastersThesis University of Rio Grande Rio Grande
Das J P (1993) Estemation prelininaire concernantla presence de mammiferes marines en Nouvelle-Caledonie Unpublished Report 3 pp
Dawbin W H (1972) Dolphins and whales Encyclo-paedia of Papua and New Guinea P Ryan (ed)Melbourne University Press in association with theUniversity of Papua New Guinea Melbourne 270ndash276
Duignan P J Hunter J E B Visser I N Jones G Wamp Nutman A (2000) Stingray spines A potential causeof killer whale mortality in New Zealand AquaticMammals 26 143ndash147
Eldredge L G (1991) Annotated checklist of the marinemammals of Micronesia Micronesica 24 217ndash230
Fertl D Acevedo-Gutierrez A amp Darby F L (1996) Areport of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on acarcharhinid shark in Costa Rica Marine MammalScience 12 606ndash611
Ford J K B amp Ellis G (1999) Transients Mammal-hunting killer whales University of British ColumbiaPress Vancouver
Ford J K B Ellis G M amp Balcomb K C (1994)Killer whales The natural history and genealogy ofOrcinus orca in British Columbia and Washington StateUniversity of British Columbia Press Vancouver
Garrigue C amp Greaves J (2001) Cetacean records forthe New Caledonian area (Southwest Paci c Ocean)Micronesica 34 27ndash33
Gladstone W (1988) Killer whale feeding observedunderwater Journal of Mammalogy 69 629ndash630
Gleeson B (1997) Explore the Bismark Sea Skin DiverJune 106ndash108
Grace A (1907) Folktales of the Maori Gordon amp GotchWellington p 257
Halstead B (1996) The Dive Sites of Papua New Guineandash Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and SnorkellingNew Holland (Publishers) Ltd London
Hammond P S Mizroch S A amp Donovan G P(1990) Individual recognition and the estimation ofcetacean population parameters International WhalingCommission Cambridge United Kingdom p 440
Hembree E D (1980) Biological aspects of the cetacean shery at Lamalera Lembata Unpublished FinalReport to WWF World Wide Fund for NatureSwitzerland
171Killer whale sightings near Papua New Guinea
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso
Henningson A D (1994) Tonic immobility in 12 elasmo-branchs Use as an aid in captive husbandry ZooBiology 13 325ndash332
Heyning J E amp Dahlheim M E (1988) Orcinus orcaMammalian Species 304 1ndash9
IUCN (2000) Hilton-Taylor C (compiler) 2000IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature GlandSwitzerland and Cambridge United Kingdomxviii+61 pp
Iwashita M Motoo I amp Yukinobu I (1963) On thedistribution of Orcinus in the Northern and SouthernPaci c equatorial waters as observed from reports onOrcinus predation Original title (Japanese) Shachi noshokugai Hokoku ni yoru Taiheiyo Nan-Boku SekidoKaiiki no shachi no bunpu ni tsuite Tokai DaigakuSuisan Kenkyusho Hokoku Fisheries and MarineService (Canada) Translation Series No 3751 (1976) 124ndash30
JeVerson T A Stacey P J amp Baird R W (1991) Areview of killer whale interactions with other marinemammals Predation to co-existence Mammal Review21 151ndash180
Johnson J (1999) Close encounters of the Walindi kindSportdiving Magazine 74 44ndash48
Leatherwood S Balcomb K C Matkin C O ampEllis G (1984) Killer whales (Orcinus orca) of southernAlaska Results of eld research 1984 prelimi-nary report Report No 84ndash175 pp 59 HSWRITechnical Report San Diego CA Available fromHubbs-Sea World Research Institute 6295 Sea HarborDrive Orlando FL 32821ndash8043 USA
Munday P (1994) Kimbe Bay Rapid EcologicalAssessment Volume 7 Marine Mammals Unpub-lished report to The Nature Conservancy in associ-ation with Mahonia na Dari Conservation andResearch Centre PO Box 697 Kimbe West NewBritain Papua New Guinea
Newbert C (1995) Just when we thought things could notget any better Unpublished Newsletter RainbowSea Tours Florida United States of America (httpwwwrstourscom) 7 1ndash13
Orbell M (1995) The illustrated encyclopaedia ofMaori myth and legend Canterbury University PressChristchurch
Pryor K (1973) Behaviour and learning in porpoises andwhales Naturwissenschaften 60 412ndash420
Reeves R R Leatherwood S Stone G S amp EldredgeL G (1999) Marine mammals in the area served bythe South Paci c Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) South Paci c Regional EnvironmentProgramme and United Nations EnvironmentProgramme
Rudolph P Smeenk C amp Leatherwood S (1997)Preliminary checklist of Cetacea in the Indonesianarchipelago and adjacent waters Zoologische Verhan-delingen Leiden 312 1ndash48
Secchi E R amp Vaske T J (1998) Killer whale (Orcinusorca) sightings and depredation on tuna and sword shlongline catches in southern Brazil Aquatic Mammals24 117ndash122
Shimada H amp Pastene L A (1995) Report of a sightingsurvey oV the Solomon Islands with comments on
Brydersquos whale distribution Report of the InternationalWhaling Commission 45 413ndash418
Sivasubramaniam K (1964) Predation of tuna longlinecatches in the Indian Ocean by killer-whales andsharks Bulletin of Fisheries Research Station Ceylon17 221ndash236
Skinner G (1994) Orcas at Walindi Dive log AustraliaJuly
Tomich P Q (1969) Mammals in Hawaii BishopMuseum Press Honolulu Hawaii Honolulu
Visser I N (1998) Proli c body scars and collapsingdorsal ns on killer whales in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 24 71ndash81
Visser I N (1999a) Benthic foraging on stingrays bykiller whales (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand watersMarine Mammal Science 15 220ndash227
Visser I N (1999b) Propeller scars and known migrationof two orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters NewZealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33635ndash642
Visser I N (1999c) A summary of interactions betweenorca (Orcinus orca) and other cetaceans in NewZealand waters New Zealand Journal of NaturalScience 24 101ndash112
Visser I N (2000a) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) inter-actions with longlines sheries in New Zealand watersAquatic Mammals 26 241ndash252
Visser I N (2000b) Orca (Orcinus orca) in New Zealandwaters PhD Dissertation University of AucklandAuckland
Visser I N (2001) Foraging behaviour and diet of(Orcinus orca) in New Zealand waters Proceedings ofthe 14th biennial conference on the biology of marinemammals Vancouver Canada November 28ndashDecember 3 2001
Visser I N (2002a) Kimbe Bay Preliminary CetaceanSurvey Report Unpublished report submitted toWalindi Plantation Resort and Mahonia na DariConservation and Research Centre PO Box 4 KimbeWest New Britain Papua New Guinea
Visser I N (2002b) Pigmentation as an indicative featurefor populations of killer whales Proceedings of theOrca Symposium Niort France 23ndash28 September2002
Visser I N Fertl D Berghan J amp van Meurs R(2000) Killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on ashort n mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) in NewZealand waters Aquatic Mammals 26 229ndash231
Visser I N amp Fertl D C (2000) Stranding resightingand boat strike of a killer whale (Orcinus orca) oV NewZealand Aquatic Mammals 26 232ndash240
Visser I N amp Maumlkelaumlinen P (2000) Variation in eyepatch shape of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in NewZealand waters Marine Mammal Science 16 459ndash469
Wright A (1980) An investigation of Japanese long-line tuna shing operations in the region of PapuaNew Guinea Research Bulletin G Yamamoto (ed)Papua New Guinea Government (Department ofPrimary Industry) Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)pp 49
Ydenberg R C (1986) The economics of eeing frompredators Advances in the study of behaviour 16 229ndash249
172 I N Visser and F J Bonoccorso