Rare footage shows dolphins helping orcas hunt off B.C. coast

Killer whales are the ocean’s top predator — but new research suggests they may not always hunt alone.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have captured rare underwater and aerial footage showing northern resident killer whales foraging alongside Pacific white-sided dolphins , revealing an unexpected cooperative relationship between the two species.

The video was collected off the north coast of Vancouver Island near Johnstone Strait, using drones and suction-cup biologging tags temporarily attached to whales.

The team set out to better understand how northern resident killer whales catch their prey, but instead documented behaviour they were not actively searching for.

“The truth of it is, we never intended to look at this interaction at all,” said Andrew Trites, dir