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Orcas (or killer whales) 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]
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.
The Iberian orca subpopulation lives in the coastal waters of the Iberian Peninsula and is genetically distinct from other orca populations in the Northeast Atlantic. [1] The orcas follow the seasonal migration of Atlantic bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus ), their primary food source, gathering in the early spring in the Strait of Gibraltar .
Researchers have warned that human impact on the ocean is putting increasing pressure on dolphins and whales, and their ecosystems. The UK whale and dolphin conservation charity Orca recorded ...
While an orca versus whale shark matchup may seem like an epic battle, the orcas make easy work of the gentle giants. “The whale shark has the smallest brain compared to body mass.
At the time, orcas were not only viewed as costly competition with fishermen for salmon, but as dangerous and threatening to humans as well, and were viewed negatively across the region. In response to these complaints, a machine gun was installed at Seymour Narrows with the intent of killing any orca that passed by.
Captive orcas are kept in small tanks, false social groupings and chemically altered water. Captive killer whales have been observed acting aggressively toward themselves, other killer whales, or humans, which is a result of stress. [89]
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