nostalgic for the devonian

old tom was a male orca who was part of the australian pod known as the killers of eden. between 1840 and 1950, this pod would co-oporate with human whale hunters, who were part of the davidson family, to help take down baleen whales together. the orcas would find whales, herd them near the coast, then swim to the whalers' cottage to alert them of the whales. old tom would frequently alert the whalers by tail-lobbing or breaching near the cottages.

upon reaching the whales, the whalers would harpoon the whales, with the orcas sometimes even assisting in hauling them by grabbing the ropes, and then the whalers would anchor the carcass. they allowed the orcas to consume the tongue and lips of the whale, as the orcas would normally, before the whalers hauled in the carcass. this rule was known as "the law of the tongue."