The Curious Case of the "Law of the Tongue"

TL;DR

Humans and orcas in Twofold Bay, Australia had a unique cooperative hunting agreement where the orcas would drive baleen whales to shore for the hunters to kill, in exchange for sharing parts of the catch.

Transcript

Sporting the third deepest natural harbor in the southern hemisphere and a rich habitat, the waters around Eden, Australia attract a variety of wildlife, including baleen whales and, at least in the fall and winter, orcas. At some point in the history of the indigenous Yuin people, they and the killer whales seemingly entered into a tacit sort of u... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤑 Twofold Bay in Eden, Australia has a rich habitat that attracts baleen whales and orcas.
• 👯 The Yuin people and orcas had a cooperative hunting agreement, known as the Law of the Tongue, to bring down baleen whales.
• 🥳 European hunters later joined the hunting process in exchange for sharing parts of the catch.
• 🧭 Orcas are intelligent and social animals that pass on hunting knowledge through generations.
• 🐳 The orcas would herd whales and notify the whalers, making it easier for them to capture the prey.
• 😋 The orcas received the whale's tongue and lips as their share of the catch.
• 🖐️ Old Tom, the herald of the orca pod, played a significant role in notifying the whalers.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the indigenous Yuin people and orcas establish their hunting agreement?

The exact origins are unclear, but it is believed that the orcas began assisting the Yuin people in hunting baleen whales near the harbor. This potentially increased the availability of scraps for the orcas, leading to a mutually beneficial partnership.

Q: How did the European hunters learn about the orcas' hunting assistance?

Accounts differ, but it is likely that Alexander Davidson, who established a whaling station in Eden in 1860, learned about the orcas' behavior from Yuin fishermen. However, there are earlier accounts suggesting that some whalers were aware of the orcas' hunting assistance.

Q: How did the cooperative hunting agreement work?

The orcas would herd baleen whales into Twofold Bay and notify the whalers by breaching the surface or thrashing their tails. Once the whale was trapped, the orcas would feed on the tongue and lips while the whalers harvested the rest of the carcass.

Q: What happened to the cooperative hunting agreement?

The agreement ended in 1923 when a dispute between Old Tom, the orca herald, and a whaler resulted in Tom losing several teeth. The orca pod never returned to Twofold Bay afterward, and the Davidsons' hunting methods became less effective.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The waters around Eden, Australia have a rich habitat that attracts baleen whales and orcas.

• Indigenous Yuin people and orcas had a tacit agreement, known as the Law of the Tongue, to work together to hunt baleen whales.

• European hunters later joined in the hunting, and the orcas would help them trap and kill the whales in exchange for sharing parts of the catch.