A mother grizzly bear with first year cubs will not take her cubs into the water to wait for salmon to arrive. Rather she will be content to graze on the sedge grass and once the salmon are in the river and easier to catch she will fish. While she fishes the cubs wait close by on the bank until the fish are brought to them.
The most popular theory is that orca eye-spots protect their actual eyes by providing a false target (prey animals will often attack the eyes of their predators). But then if they did not have the eye patch it wouldn’t it be harder to find the eyes? Some scientists believe that the eye-spots might help other orca recognize body orientation in dark or murky water. The reason is not the important part but the fact that lodge guests want pictures of the orca’s eye spot as they surface is important. It is harder than one might expect as orca do not give much of a warning when they plan to surface.
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