| When two or more escort males are accompanying a cow, competition among the escorts males may ensue. The competiton may be low-level, consisting of threatening body gestures or positioning, and the challenge may be over quickly. On the other hand, competition may be intense, with all the whales in the social group expending great energy to maintain a fast swimming pace and avoid collisions and rushes between the challenging escorts. In such a group, body to body contact is common between challenging escorts, usually the result of glancing or direct blows with pectoral fins, flukes and rostrums. |
| Researchers strongly suspect that the object of the competition is the cow, or at least a position alongside or flanking the cow. By maintaining a position alonside the cow, in spite of maneuvering, blows and threats by challenging escorts, the primary escort may be trying to prove to the cow that he is a worthy mate or consort. |
| When observing a competitive group, our most important task is to attempt to identify a) the cow, b) the primary escort who has the optimum (usually closest flanking) position relative to the cow, and c) the one (or several) other escorts who is most intent on displacing the primary escort and assuming his position. Sometimes there may be no single escort that, in our opinion, has a dominant position and can be termed the primary escort. Other times the primary escort is easy to identify, but (unfortunately for him) he will have not one but several direct challenges from other escorts, any one of which might displace him to become the new primary escort. |
| Competitive groups can range in size from three whales (cow, primary escort and challenging escort) to two dozen or more. They almost always contain a single adult cow who is at the center of the action. Large groups may contain many inactive escort males that, for the time being, are simply observing the activities and perhaps waiting for an opportunity to make their own challenge. The role of primary escort may change suddenly, and it can be difficult to know when the change has taken place. |
| Click here to see an excerpt from an article about competitive groups. |
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