Mystery of Old Thom: the Orca Who Lives With Dolphins

#orca #kpassionate #dolphinOrcas are highly social animals who typically live in close knit family groups, but Old Thom has never been seen with another killer whale. He’s usually seen with a pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins. This phenomenon is called a “Mix Species Group” which is when different species “interact in close spatial proximity due to a mutual attraction derived from evolutionary grouping benefits.” Mutual attraction is the key distinction. Most witnesses have described Old Thom and his white-sided dolphins as "affiliative." There are reports of Thom and the dolphins socializing and even feeding alongside each other.