A new study from McGill University suggests that while some Icelandic Orcas have very high concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in their blubber, others from the same population have levels of PCBs that are much lower, with a 300-fold difference between the levels of PCBs among the most contaminated Orcas compared to the least contaminated ones. It seems to mainly depend on what they eat.

Orcas that ate a mixed diet of both marine mammals (such as seals or other cetaceans such as porpoises) and fish (mainly herring) had concentrations of PCBs in their blubber that were 9 times higher on average than those that eat mainly fish.

The researchers argue that future assessments of the state of Orca populations should take into account the individual variations in food sources that may lead to elevated health risks from PCB exposures. Read more here.

Nearby, during summer 2020, University of British Columbia scientists tracked southern and northern resident Orcas off the B.C. coast using cutting-edge technology that opened a new window into the lives of these charismatic creatures.  Video cameras attached to Orca with suction cups recorded what the whales see and hear, as well as their movements in the water, and their diving and hunting behaviour: “The Images Took Our Breath Away”  Click here to see.