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The orca (Orcinus orca), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. It is the only extant species in the genus Orcinus and is recognizable by its black-and-white patterned body. A cosmopolitan species, it is found in diverse marine environments, from Arctic to Antarctic regions to tropical seas.
Killer whale advocates point out it has a long heritage. Indeed, the genus name Orcinus means "of the kingdom of the dead". Killer whales are apex predators, meaning that they themselves have no natural predators. They are sometimes called the wolves of the sea, because they hunt in groups like wolf packs.
In 1900, the American naturalist Edward William Nelson described the kăk-whăn’-û-ghăt kǐg-û-lu’-nǐk among a number of other mythical and composite animals: [1]. It is described as being similar in form to the killer whale and is credited with the power of changing at will to a wolf; after roaming about over the land it may return to the sea and again become a whale.
Some orcas prey on fish, others hunt mammals like seals, sea lions, and otters, and some have even been known to go in packs after larger whale species—especially the babies of these species ...
Killer whales play an important role in our ocean's ecosystem. Female orcas can live up to 90 years, and male orcas live up to 60 years. ... Theme parks, like Seaworld, have capitalized off of ...
Killer whale in the Salish Sea is observed harassing a porpoise, (Wild Orca) The whale sharks were temporarily stunned and flipped over, enabling the orcas access to the lipid-rich liver of the fish.
Orca show at SeaWorld San Diego. Orcas, or killer whales, are large predatory cetaceans that were first captured live and displayed in exhibitions in the 1960s. They soon became popular attractions at public aquariums and aquatic theme parks due to their intelligence, trainability, striking appearance, playfulness in captivity and sheer size. [1]
Orcas — also known as killer whales — are once again on the offensive. Their new target is whale sharks, the world's largest fish species. According to CNN, a new study — published in the ...