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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]
Orkid at SeaWorld San Diego. Dozens of orcas (killer whales) are held in captivity for breeding or performance purposes. The practice of capturing and displaying orcas in exhibitions began in the 1960s, and they soon became popular attractions at public aquariums and aquatic theme parks due to their intelligence, trainability, striking appearance, playfulness, and sheer size.
Some orcas prey on fish, others hunt mammals like seals, sea lions, and otters, and some have even been known to go in packs after larger whale species—especially the babies of these species ...
Of the very few confirmed attacks on humans by wild orcas, none have been fatal. [189] In one instance, orcas tried to tip ice floes on which a dog team and photographer of the Terra Nova Expedition were standing. [190] The sled dogs' barking is speculated to have sounded enough like seal calls to trigger the orca's hunting curiosity.
Orcas hunt in groups, and are capable of launching coordinated attacks on blue whales where they will bite their body parts and ram them mercilessly. Once the attack is successful, killer whales ...
Orcas off the coast of Mexico have devised a cunning strategy to hunt and kill whale sharks, and marine scientists have documented the behavior for the first time. Images reveal how an orca pod ...
Humans hunted with apex predators in the form of wolves, and in turn with domestic dogs, for 40,000 years; this collaboration may have helped modern humans to outcompete the Neanderthals. [ 37 ] [ 38 ] Humans still hunt with dogs , which have often been bred as gun dogs to point to , flush out , or retrieve prey . [ 39 ]
Scientists saw a male orca kill a juvenile great white shark within minutes last year. The hunting behavior could be a sign of a wider shift in the marine ecosystem.