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After exposure to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, two male resident killer whales experienced dorsal fin collapse, and the animals subsequently died. In 2002, the dorsal fin of a stranded killer whale showed signs of collapse after three days but regained its natural upright appearance as soon as the orca resumed strong normal swimming upon ...
Port and Starboard are a pair of adult male orcas notable for preying on great white sharks off the coast of South Africa. [1] The duo are identified as having rare and distinct collapsed dorsal fins and they are named for the nautical terms, as Port's fin collapses left and Starboard's collapses right. [2]
Tilikum was the largest orca in captivity. [8] He measured 22.5 feet (6.9 m) in length and weighed about 12,500 pounds (5,700 kg). [9] His pectoral fins were 7 feet (2.1 m) long, his fluke curled under, and his 6.5-foot-tall (2.0 m) dorsal fin was collapsed completely to his left side.
Old Thom is a large bull orca, and is estimated to be 25 to 30 feet (7.6 to 9.1 m) long, with an estimated weight of 8 short tons (7.3 t). [3] The whale is identified by a distinct notch a third of the way down the posterior side of the dorsal fin.
An individual orca can often be identified from its dorsal fin and saddle patch. Variations such as nicks, scratches, and tears on the dorsal fin and the pattern of white or grey in the saddle patch are unique. Published directories contain identifying photographs and names for hundreds of North Pacific animals.
He added that orca, also known as killer whales, are protected in New Zealand and it is illegal to swim with them. “Orca are immensely powerful animals, and this really could have ended horribly ...
Gray "saddle patch" behind dorsal fin; half-moon notch in dorsal fin Granny (born c. 1936-1951 approx, died c. 2016), also known as J2 , was a female orca of the J pod of southern resident orcas notable for her long life.
According to biologists, the dorsal fin’s size in such shallow water should reveal part of the shark’s back or a second dorsal fin — neither of which are visible.