Killer whales are among the most widespread and best-known cetaceans but exhibit great variation in their ecology, particularly in their foraging behaviour. Most of our knowledge of the species is based on field studies in the Northern Hemisphere and killer whales in the Southern Ocean are poorly understood.

My study investigates aspects of a population of killer whales at Marion Island, in the Southern Indian Ocean.

Using land-based photographic identification of individuals I will:

• examine the potential impact of the killer whale population on pinniped populations (Mirounga leonina, Arctocephalus gazella and Arctocephalus tropicalis) which breed on the Island;
  


• produce a mark-recapture size estimate for the population;


• describe the seasonal abundance as well as daily/short-term movements of killer whales around the Island; and


• analyse the social structure of the population.



 
Recent Publications
2009

1. Reisinger, R.R., Mufanadzo, N.T., de Bruyn, P.J.N., Bester, M.N. (2009) Leucistic southern elephant seal at Marion Island. Polar Biology. 32:509-511
Website Link of Importance
1. Ryan Reisinger Photography