Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
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]
The practice of keeping killer whales in captivity is controversial, and organisations such as World Animal Protection, PETA, and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation campaign against the captivity of killer whales. Orcas in captivity may develop physical pathologies, such as the dorsal fin collapse seen in 80–90% of captive males.
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.
Ikaika is a maturing male: his dorsal fin has collapsed, his flukes have fully made a curve, and he is about 21.9 feet (6.7 m) long and 9,900 pounds (4,500 kg). [24] On November 13, 2011, Ikaika was transported to SeaWorld San Diego, where he joined six other orcas; Ulises , Corky , Orkid, Kasatka , Nakai and Kalia.
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.
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.
Keiko became the star of the film Free Willy in 1993. The publicity from his role led to an effort by Warner Brothers to find a better home for the orca. The pool for the now 21-foot-long (6.4 m) orca was only 22 feet (6.7 m) deep, 65 feet (20 m) wide and 114 feet (35 m) long.
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 ...