False killer whales and bottlenose dolphins hang out together say researchers

Researchers in New Zealand studying false killer whales and bottlenose dolphins believe that individuals from the two species form long-term partnerships that might help them fend off predators or find food.

Following years monitoring particular groups of false killer whales and bottlenose dolphins in New Zealand, findings reveal that they are both returning together to the same areas over and over again. It appears that they are doing everything together; feeding, travelling, physically interacting and resting as one group.

One reason for this could be connected to safety – the more individuals there are in a group, the more eyes there are looking out for predators, and if a predator does come, the less chance there is of any one individual being picked off.

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Bottlenose dolphin | False killer whale 

Watch this video of false killer whales filmed off the Azores.