The killers of Eden or Twofold Bay killers were a group of killer whales (Orcinus orca) known for their co-operation with human hunters of cetacean species. They were seen near the port of Eden in southeastern Australia between 1840 and 1930. A pod of killer whales, which included amongst its members a distinctive male called Old Tom, would assist whalers in hunting baleen whales. The killer whales would find target whales, shepherd them into Twofold Bay or neighbouring regions of coast, and then often swim many kilometres away from the location of the hunt to alert the whalers at their cottage to their presence and often help to kill the whales.
Indigenous Australians
The local indigenous people, the Yuin tribe, believed the killer whales to be their totem animal and reincarnations of their ancestors. Yuin elder Guboo Ted Thomas heard stories of his grandfather riding on the backs of killer whales. Thomas and his daughter Lynne describe Yuin cooperating with dolphins (cetaceans, like killer whales) to drive fish to shore where they could be speared. Local historian Barry Smith speculates that the black-and-white ceremonial dress of Koori warriors is based on the killer whale.
Documentarian Greg McKee has been told by Yuin elders that Aboriginal Australians had a spiritual association with whales effectively dating back to the last ice age. Long ago their ancestors used to hunt game in areas of dry land presently covered by sea. These ancestors took on the form of killer whales and so continue to hunt in their traditional hunting grounds. The references to dry land now covered by sea suggests the last ice ages when the sea level was lower than present around 10,000+yrs ago.
While collaborative hunting associations between dolphins and humans occur in many traditional fishing communities, they are rare between killer whales and humans, and particularly Western cultures. Zoologist and historian Danielle Clode describes how the pre-existing cultural and spiritual connection between the Yuin people and the killer whales of Twofold Bay allowed the unique collaboration between European whalers and killer whales to develop because Indigenous crew on the whale boats refused to allow killer whales to be harmed or killed during whale hunts. Clode's book, Killers in Eden, documented the historical accounts for this association including observations recorded by early whaling station manager Oswald Brierly, anthropologist Robert Hamilton Mathews and Yuin elder Percy Mumbulla.
Davidson whalers and "the law of the tongue" Old Tom's role was commonly to alert the human whalers to the presence of a baleen whale in the bay by breaching or tailslapping at the mouth of the Kiah River, which is one of the smallest rivers, where the Davidson family had their tiny cottages. This role endeared him to the whalers and led to the idea that he was “leader of the pack,” although such a role was more likely taken by a little known female (as is typical among killer whales). The whale known as "Stranger" described as a leader of "stranger's mob" was a large 30 ft male.
After the harpooning, some of the killer whales would even grab the ropes in their teeth and aid the whalers in hauling. The skeleton of Old Tom is on display at the Eden Killer Whale Museum, and significant wear marks still exist on his teeth from repeatedly grabbing fast-moving ropes.
In return for their help, the whalers would anchor the carcass overnight while the killer whales ate the tongue and lips of the whale, then haul it ashore. The arrangement is a rare example of mutualism between humans and killer whales. The arrangement was called "the law of the tongue". The killer whales would also feed on the many fish and birds that would show up to pick at the smaller scraps and runoff from the fishing.
Many of the Eden killer whales were individually known and named, often after Yuin whalers who had died. Some of best known killer whales included Tom (who died 15 September 1930), Hooky, Humpy (died 1926/7), Cooper, Typee (died 1901), Jackson, Stranger, Big Ben, Young Ben, Kinscher (female), Jimmy, Sharkey, Charlie Adgery, Brierly, Albert, Youngster, Walker, Flukey, Big Jack, Little Jack, Skinner, and Montague. The probable structure and history of the pod during this period was reconstructed by zoologist Danielle Clode.