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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]
Whales have beached throughout human history, with evidence of humans salvaging from stranded sperm whales in southern Spain during the Upper Magdalenian era some 14,000 years before the present. [2] Some strandings can be attributed to natural and environmental factors, such as rough weather, weakness due to old age or infection, difficulty ...
The whales make groans, pops and belches typically at frequencies around 500 Hz. The purpose of the sounds is not known but may be a form of communication between whales within the same group. Northern right whales responded to sounds similar to police sirens—sounds of much higher frequency than their own. On hearing the sounds, they moved ...
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 ...
Orcas have helped humans hunting other whales. [221] One well-known example was the orcas of Eden, Australia , including the male known as Old Tom . Whalers more often considered them a nuisance, however, as orcas would gather to scavenge meat from the whalers' catch. [ 221 ]
Killer whales have reportedly attacked more than 500 boats in European waters recently. Are they exacting revenge for humanity's treatment of orcas?
They regularly dive for about 5–15 minutes (maximum of 20 minutes) after four to seven blows. Bryde's whales are capable of reaching depths down to 292 metres (958 ft). [18] When submerging, these whales do not display their flukes. Bryde's whales commonly swim at 1.6–6.4 km/h (1–4 mph), but can reach 19–24 km/h (12–15 mph). [8]
Female orcas, like their human counterparts, live decades beyond their reproductive years.