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An attack on a strap-toothed whale. 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 ...
Orcas, or “killer whales,” can grow up to 27 feet long and weigh as much as six tons. Known as the ocean’s top predator, they’re extremely intelligent, with their own languages of clicks ...
A hunt begins with a chase followed by a violent attack on the exhausted prey. Large whales often show signs of orca attack via tooth rake marks. [84] Pods of female sperm whales sometimes protect themselves by forming a protective circle around their calves with their flukes facing outwards, using them to repel the attackers. [90]
As annual ice cover declines, humans may gain access and disrupt beluga whale habitats. [241] For example, the number of vessels in the Arctic for gas and oil exploration, fishing, and commercial shipping has already increased and a continuous trend may lead to higher risks of injuries and deaths for beluga whales.
The UK whale and dolphin conservation charity Orca recorded 55,604 whales and dolphins in oceans worldwide in 2023 as part of a marine survey covering 330,000 kilometres with the support of ...
Gray whale rostrum covered in the endemic Cryptolepas rhachianecti barnacles and cyamids often called whale lice. Whale barnacles typically attach to baleen whales and have a commensal relationship–the barnacle benefits and the whale is neither helped nor harmed. [3] A single humpback whale may carry up to 450 kg (990 lb) of barnacles. [21]
As humans heat up the world by burning fossil fuels, whales are increasingly vulnerable. Warmer ocean temperatures can affect their food and force them to change their migration routes.
Before extensive research on whale vocalizations was completed, the low-frequency pulses emitted by some species of whales were often not correctly attributed to them. Dr Payne wrote: "Before it was shown that fin whales were the cause [of powerful sounds], no one could take seriously the idea that such regular, loud, low, and relatively pure frequency tones were coming from within the ocean ...