Photos show a female orca swimming with adopted baby pilot whale in unique case, scientists say

• A female orca appeared to adopt a baby pilot whale in the first known case of its kind.
• Scientists observed the orca caring for the calf in western Iceland in 2021, a new study says.
• The study noted that the orca had never had a calf of her own.

   

A female orca appeared to have adopted or abducted a baby pilot whale in the first known case of its kind, scientists say. 

The orca, known as "Sædís," was first observed swimming with the pilot whale calf in August 2021 in the Atlantic Ocean near western Iceland.

Scientists observed that Sædís was not simply accompanying the calf but was actively caring for it. 

Two other orcas, likely from Sædís' pod, were also present, but no other pilot whales were seen – which is unusual because pilot whales also travel in pods.