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An attack on a strap-toothed whale. Orcas are large, powerful aquatic apex predators. There have been incidents where orcas were perceived to attack humans in the wild, but such attacks are less common than those by captive orcas. [1] In captivity, there have been several non-fatal and four fatal attacks on humans since the 1970s. [2]
Orcas also prey on larger species such as sperm whales, grey whales, humpback whales and minke whales. [ 84 ] [ 40 ] On three separate occasions in 2019 orcas were recorded to have killed blue whales off the south coast of Western Australia, including an estimated 18–22-meter (59–72 ft) individual. [ 89 ]
Sexual maturity is achieved at around seven to ten years of age. The length of the developmental phases of a whale's early life varies between different whale species. [12] As with humans, the whale mode of reproduction typically produces but one offspring approximately once each year. While whales have fewer offspring over time than most ...
And sperm whales function as a family, "Sperm whales are often spotted in groups (called pods) of some 15 to 20 animals. Pods include females and their young, while males may roam solo or move ...
As annual ice cover declines, humans may gain access and disrupt beluga whale habitats. [241] For example, the number of vessels in the Arctic for gas and oil exploration, fishing, and commercial shipping has already increased and a continuous trend may lead to higher risks of injuries and deaths for beluga whales.
A beluga whale discovered with a harness strapped around its neck in Norwegian waters five years ago - and found dead on Aug. 31 - had a stick stuck in its mouth and its death was not related to ...
Toothed whales can also be threatened by humans more indirectly. They are unintentionally caught in fishing nets by commercial fisheries as bycatch and accidentally swallow fishhooks. Gillnetting and Seine netting are significant causes of mortality in cetaceans and other marine mammals. [99] Porpoises are commonly entangled in fishing nets.
Walrus attacks are attacks inflicted upon humans, other walruses and other animals by the walrus. They have been documented in the Arctic by the Inuit and by European explorers, both on land and at sea. The Greenland Inuit refer to the red walrus as saanniartoq, "the one who turns against one". [1]