Orcas hunt in coordinated groups and pass hunting techniques down through family lines.

The longer version

Hunting skills pass along family lines because calves copy their mothers and relatives, and members of these matrilines stay together for life. Traditions form: some lines specialise in herding fish into tight balls, others beach themselves briefly to grab seals, and neighbours sharing the same genes may behave nothing alike.

Calls are learned the same way, giving each group a distinct repertoire recognised at distance. Cooperation allows prey far larger or faster than one individual could manage. Because knowledge travels culturally rather than through inheritance, it can vanish quickly if a line dies out. Such traditions take years to build, since calves stay dependent for a long while learning.

Where this entry sits

Oceans and Sea Life looks at the salt water that covers most of the planet, from crashing waves and tides to the darkest deep-sea trenches. Expect notes on coral, fish, whales, sharks, jellyfish, shells, and the strange creatures that live far below the surface. The full list sits on the Oceans and Sea Life page, where every entry is listed in order.