Orcas, the “king of the sea,” live in matriarchal groups and hunt by cooperative play, and are so smart that they are hard to miss.

Only three aquariums in Japan offer this kind of performance.

There are many aquariums in Japan, but only three are home to orcas, the kings of the sea. Because of this, many fans come to see their cute appearance and dynamic performances every day. A book titled “Killer Whale Marugoto Book” has also been released, and it has become an amazing hit, ranking No. 1 in 10 categories on Amazon.

For those who are not interested in orcas, what is so fascinating about them, unlike dolphins and sharks?　To be honest, they are probably wondering, “What’s the big deal? Not at all!　Once you get to know the orcas, you will be captivated by their cleverness.

Hiromichi Miyagawa, a trainer at Kamogawa Sea World, which keeps three killer whales, the largest number among the three aquariums, explained to us.

The greatest characteristic of killer whales is that they are called the “kings of the sea. Depending on the ecotype (a group of the same species but with different appearance and characteristics depending on the environment in which they live), there are also types that hunt whales and sharks, and they are at the top of the marine food chain.

Please keep in mind, however, that there are just such types. Orcas are often shown hunting sea lions and seals, but not all orcas have the same diet, and some eat only fish. We trainers are sometimes asked the question, “Is it safe to be in such close proximity to them? But all orcas at Kamogawa Sea World are descendants of fish-eaters such as herring, so there is no need to worry (laughs).

They are so smart that it’s hard to take their eyes off of them. The secret lies in their “matriarchal group.

Whether it is fish or whales that they eat, what amazes me is how clever they are in their hunting. They surround a school of fish with their companions, threaten from one side, and ambush it from the other side. If the target is a whale, they hold it down from above to prevent it from catching its breath, and if the target is a seal on an ice floe, they work together to lift it up onto the ice or from below, then slide it down into the sea to capture it.

This brilliant cooperative play is largely due to one characteristic unique to killer whales. The orcas are a matriarchal group.

Killer whales are special in that the oldest female always leads the pack. To put it simply, the grandmother is the leader. They communicate with each other by using a call that can only be understood within the group.

Some males stay in the same group they were born in, while others move to other groups, and still others wander around on their own. There is still a lot we don’t know about killer whale groups, but there is still no doubt that the female is the leader of any group. And from mother to daughter, a wealth of knowledge is firmly passed on. I think this is one of the reasons why killer whales are highly social animals.

Incidentally, Kamogawa Sea World has three female orcas, Rabby, Lala, and Luna. Rabby and Lala are sisters, and Luna is Rabby’s daughter. Lala, however, is said to have been even more devoted to raising Luna than her mother, Rabby. Lara is also bigger than Luna, but even so, the leader is her older sister, Rabby. No matter how strong Lala usually acts, once Labby gets angry, she loses control of the three dogs. It is interesting to note that the order of the three dogs never changes.

Performances are “almost improvised.

Killer whales are enormously popular for the dynamic and beautiful performances they give from their large bodies. The “looping kick,” in which they kick a ball suspended above the water with their tail fins, the “swimming burst,” in which they splash the audience while swimming, and the “combination jump” between the trainer and killer whale (……) are said to number nearly 80 in total.

The orcas are very smart, and the trainers have to work very hard to keep up with them. The trainers must have a very difficult time with them. The reason is that orcas get bored if they are asked to do the same thing over and over again.

If the order of the events in a performance is too routine, the orcas will start to anticipate what is coming next. For example, they may say, ‘This is the next jump,’ and do it without a sign. Orcas can also predict the direction in which we are going to jump and move in that direction first.

But such predictions lead to boredom, so we have to think ahead of the orcas. If we sense that the orcas are moving to the right, we intentionally dive in the opposite direction. We are constantly stimulating the orcas in this way. So, in fact, the performance is not decided in advance by the trainer, but rather is almost improvised by the trainer while observing the orcas’ situation.

On the other hand, there is an enthusiastic side to the orcas that secretly practices on their own.　On the other hand, there is also an enthusiastic side to his training.

When Luna was still a little girl,” he says. When I looked into the pool after closing time, Luna was practicing her ‘looping kicks. After the pool closed, they collected the balls, but she was jumping at the same position as she would do in a real game. It seemed that she was checking the course. We were also practicing “landing,” or climbing over the edge of the pool, over and over again, even though it was not part of the training.

I think it was more like a boom for me than an independent practice. So, sometimes, even during the actual training, we would do the “My Boom” event that we had not signed up for, and other orcas would start doing it too, and it would get out of control. Of course, there are times when this is annoying, but when I see that kind of pace, I think that orcas have strong habits and are very interesting. No wonder they are so popular.

Killer whales are not booming; they have always been popular.

This year, orcas have not only been a hit in books, but also in dramas starring popular idols, in which they have appeared as a symbolic presence, and this has generated a great deal of interest. In addition, many comments on social networking sites have been made in support of killer whales, and many communities of orca lovers have been established. This may be the beginning of a complete orca boom.　How do aquariums feel about this?

Takeshi Watanabe, public relations manager at Kamogawa Sea World, offers the following analysis.

Actually, I think killer whales have always been popular. Kamogawa Sea World’s performances have been held since the opening of the aquarium, and if they were not popular, they would not have lasted long. But nowadays, with social networking sites becoming more active, it is easier to obtain and spread information than in the past. So people are sharing their surprise and impressions of the performance and their love for orcas. In other words, I feel that we live in an age where “like” and “attraction” are more easily spread and visualized.

If you are going to go to the trouble of visiting orcas, you want to enjoy them to the fullest. We asked trainer Mr. Miyagawa to show us both the orthodox and “……” ways to enjoy the orcas.

I would like you to see the orca performance,” he said. There are many popular events, but you can’t tell for sure until you try it because of the orca’s condition on any given day. That is why I hope you will watch the show many times and enjoy it, thinking, ‘I didn’t know they could do this! and enjoy the show.

A secret way to enjoy the show is to watch the interaction between the trainer and the orcas. Whenever the orcas perform, the trainers praise them, and there are actually various ways to praise them. It may seem like they are just rewarding them with fish, but they also say various words and convey their love with their whole body. Sometimes you can even hear what the trainer is saying, so it is interesting to listen carefully to what they are saying.

We originally started this job because we love orcas. That’s why we have always thought orcas are amazing!　They are so cute!　They are so smart!　I have the impression that the times have finally caught up with us. I am more than happy about that.

Orca Marugoto Book” (edited by Shunsuke Namban, supervised by Hiroshi Katsumata, director of Kamogawa Sea World, from Tatsumi Publishing Co.)