NARRATED by acclaimed actor Richard Roxburgh, you can follow the awe-inspiring story of a unique group of killer whales when Killer Whale: Australia’s Megapod premieres on Tuesday, August 26 at 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iView.
In the Bremer Sub Basin, about 60km off the south coast of Western Australia, lives the truly formidable Bremer Canyon megapod.
Join Australia’s leading killer whale scientists, Dr Rebecca Wellard, John Totterdell and Dr Isabella Reeves, as they unravel the secrets of this extraordinary pod in this one-off special documentary.
Using tracking equipment, hydrophones, and cameras, we witness rare footage and hear first-hand accounts of the orcas’ intelligence, power and social complexity.
The researchers have mapped out family structures, how they socialise and how they communicate – they’ve even detected an “Aussie accent”.
What’s more, these killers have a complex brain.
Across the Atlantic in New York city, neuroscientists Dr Lori Moreno and Dr Patrick Hof inspect a rare specimen of an orca brain – looking at how the structure reveals that orcas are not just social, they’re cultural – which demonstrates a level of learning and identity.
Don’t miss this rare glimpse into nature’s most formidable hunters.
