Orcas squirrel away their food

VANCOUVER Who knew squirrels and killer whales had so much in common?

Experts have discovered that killer whales in Alaskan waters store leftovers from their kill and return later to feed.

The research team, led by killer whale expert Lance Barrett-Lennard, found 150 transient killer whales gathered every May off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, preying on gray whales heading to the Bering Sea feeding grounds.

While the whales gorged on their kill right away, the orcas also went back to their sunken kill over several days.

Barrett-Lennard says it’s the first time any whales have been documented storing food for the future.

Transient killer whales are loners, so Barrett-Lennard says it was mind-boggling to see so many of them in one place.

The Canadian Press