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Orcas, despite being dolphins, are commonly called 'killer whales' due to a mistranslation of the Spanish phrase 'asesino de ballenas' which means 'whale killer.' This name reflects their historical predation on whales. [6] Since the 1960s, the term "orca" has increasingly replaced "killer whale" in common usage. [7]
Orcas or killer whales have a cosmopolitan distribution and several distinct populations or types have been documented or suggested. Three to five types of orcas may be distinct enough to be considered different races , [ 1 ] subspecies , or possibly even species [ 2 ] (see species problem ).
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.
The pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata) is a poorly known and rarely seen oceanic dolphin. [3] It is the only species in the genus Feresa.It derives its common name from sharing some physical characteristics with the orca, also known as the killer whale.
The killer whale appears to be studying the baby before he goes up to the top of his enclosure to get air and returns down again to take another look. Related: Beloved Orca Whale's Death at Miami ...
The genus Orcinus was published by Leopold Fitzinger in 1860, [4] its type species is the orca named by Linnaeus in 1758 as Delphinus orca.Taxonomic arrangements of delphinids published by workers before and after Fitzinger, such as John Edward Gray as Orca in 1846 and Orca (Gladiator) in 1870, are recognized as synonyms of Orcinus.
Also known as "killer whales," orcas — the largest members of the dolphin or "toothed whales" family, a suborder of cetaceans — are the only known marine predators of white sharks, another ...
In a rare video captured by a whale watching expedition off the coast of San Diego this week, a killer whale teaches its baby how to hunt by headbutting a dolphin, causing it to flip several times ...