A date with killer whales

ABU DHABI — A group of Emirati youngsters aboard their private boat recently sighted killer whales in the Abu Dhabi waters.


Although the UAE is home to over a third of the 80 known species of cetaceans, few killer whales have been spotted in Abu Dhabi waters, much less photographed and filmed.

Khaled Al Hashimi, Khaled Al Rumaithi and Saud Al Rumaithi alerted the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) of the sighting and provided the agency film footage and photographs. "I've never seen anything as magnificent as this before on any of our boat trips over the past years," said Khaled Al Rumaithi.

"There were about seven whales swimming in two groups. One of the whales was almost 10 metres long and had its calf close by. We didn't feel any danger from them and they were a beautiful sight that we will never forget," added Khaled Al Hashimi.

According to Thabit Zahran Al Abdessalaam, Director of Marine Biodiversity Management Sector at EAD, the killer whale, species orcinus orca, although belonging to the group of cetaceans, which includes whales and dolphins, is not strictly a whale. It belongs to the oceanic dolphin family and is the largest species in this family.

"Killer whales are resourceful and opportunistic predators. They feed mostly on fish, but are also known to hunt marine mammals, including sea lions, seals and even large whales - hence the common name killer whale," he said.

He noted that killer whales, despite the name, are usually not considered a threat to humans. There have, however, been isolated reports of captive killer whales attacking their handlers in dolphinaria and marine theme parks.

The distribution of the species is cosmopolitan and it is found in all the world's oceans and seas, from the glacial Arctic and Antarctic regions to warm and tropical seas. They occasionally visit the Gulf waters.

"These animals are highly social and some populations of the species are composed of matrilineal family groups, an arrangement or system in which one belongs to one's mother's lineage, and consequently tends to be the most stable of any animal species," said Al Abdessalaam.

"With the images of whale carcasses being washed ashore on beaches around the world, we cannot remain idle and watch these beautiful creatures continue to be impacted by human threats, habitat loss and marine pollution. The spotting of these magnificent creatures in Abu Dhabi waters clearly demonstrates their vulnerability. EAD strongly urges the community once again to help support our efforts in protecting these ecological treasures and to live up to their moral obligation to protect all marine life," said Al Abdessalaam.