On Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:22:36 -0500, Richard Casady
wrote:

On Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:23:18 -0400, Zombie of Woodstock
wrote:

With respect to orcas, I would think that it's done, but I don't know
of an instance where it's ever been documented. I do know that
dolphins, a orca cousin if you will, will hard bait into balls and
have at it. It dolphins do it, it makes sense that an orca would too.

I have seen in one episode of 'animal snuff', orcas eating a blue
whale, seals, salmon, and sardines. The latter were in a regular
school, not a dense ball.

I've seen that too. Sharks will routinely chase schooling fish up
against a beach and orcas will do the same to seals and penquins (I
think - seems to me I remember seeing something about that somewhere).

Orcas are larger than dolphins and a little less nimble and quick
because of it, so using a bait ball herding technique wouldn't seem to
be something they could easily do.

I don't know - it's a good question.