Rare Orca Sighting in Mozambique’s Bazaruto Seascape

A BCSS research expedition recently encountered a group of ten orcas (Orcinus orca) in the Bazaruto seascape, an exceptional orca sighting in Mozambique and the tropical Southwest Indian Ocean.

An Unusual Start to the Survey

At the beginning of the survey, humpback whales in the area were unusually quiet, with almost no surface activity. This could have been caused by the orcas’ presence, even though it is unknown if humpback whales were targeted prey for this group.

Although orcas occur in every ocean, relatively little is known about those inhabiting tropical waters of the Western Indian Ocean, where encounters remain rare and unpredictable.

Orcas (Orcinus orca) encountered during a BCSS research expedition in the Bazaruto seascape. Images: Ekaterina Kalashnikova / BCSS.

Contributing to Orca Research in the Southwest Indian Ocean

Sightings such as this contribute valuable information to a growing regional research effort.

BCSS’s long-term collaborator, Dr Maeva Terrapon, is preparing the first photo-identification catalogue of orcas in the tropical Southwest Indian Ocean, bringing together records from across the region, including photographs taken by BCSS researchers in Mozambique and data collected by Dr Aylin Akkaya of DMAD and her colleagues in Tanzania.

Photographs from the Bazaruto encounter will contribute to growing knowledge of orcas in the tropical Southwest Indian Ocean. Images: Ekaterina Kalashnikova / BCSS.

Building a Regional Picture

The forthcoming catalogue will provide an important resource for bringing together sightings and individual identification records from across the tropical Southwest Indian Ocean.

We look forward to sharing the catalogue and further updates through BCSS communication channels following its publication.

Rare encounters such as this can provide valuable records for collaborative research into orcas across the region. Image: Ekaterina Kalashnikova / BCSS.

More information:

For questions about this article, please contact: 

Ekaterina Kalashnikova, Bazaruto Archipelago – Ocean Observatory Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies ekaterina.kalashnikova@bcssmz.org  

To get in touch and collaborate with our research Center , please visit https://bcssmz.org/logistical-support-consultancy/  

To learn more about our Scientific Training Program, please see https://bcssmz.org/scientific-training-program/  

Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies
Host of the first permanent Ocean Observatory focused on multi-ecosystem time series research in Africa, the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS) was established in 2017 as an independent, non-profit organisation with a mission to protect and support the fragile ecosystems of the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique. The research station is located on Benguerra Island, off the coast of Mozambique.
Legs Brands

Recent news

Scroll to Top

Stay in the know

Receive monthly updates about our research, projects, new papers and spectacular wildlife encounters, straight into your inbox.Â