Baleen Whale Migration Patterns
Southern right whales and humpback whales migrate annually along Australia’s eastern coast, passing through Twofold Bay between April and November during predictable seasonal movements.
Eden Orca-Human Cooperation
From the 19th century through 1930, Scottish Davidson family whalers cooperated with wild orcas in Twofold Bay, Australia, creating the most well-documented case of orca-human cooperation in history.
Law of the Tongue
Davidson family whalers and Twofold Bay orcas maintained a resource-sharing agreement called the “law of the tongue” that governed their cooperative whale hunts for decades.
Orca Cultural Adaptability
Orcas develop pod-specific cultures with distinct hunting methods and prey preferences, enabling them to exploit novel environmental opportunities including cooperation with humans.
Orca Intelligence and Brain Size
Orcas possess the second-largest brain in the animal kingdom after sperm whales, contributing to their status as ocean apex predators through cognitive rather than purely physical advantages.
Early 20th Century Whaling Collapse
By the early 1900s, extensive global whaling operations caused baleen whale populations to plummet, eliminating the resource base supporting orca-human cooperation at Twofold Bay.
Old Tom Betrayal Incident
In 1923, John Logan violated the law of the tongue by refusing to anchor a harpooned humpback for Old Tom, the most famous Eden orca, resulting in a broken tooth and eventual starvation.