The Killer Whale or Orca is a sea mammal that belongs to the dolphin family. A killer whale is the largest dolphin and can weigh up to 10,000kgs. Killer whales are intelligent. Killer whales have a long dorsal fin. They are black and white. This helps them to camouflage in the water.
Killer whales travel and live together in pods. A pod can have up to 40 killer whales. Traveling in pods helps them during hunting. A killer whale can live up to 80 years of age. Killer whales are fast swimmers and use this to their advantage while hunting.
Killer whales live in oceans all over the world. Killer whales are social creatures and are sometimes used in marine zoos to entertain people. Their intelligent nature makes killer whales learn stunts quite fast.
Why do killer whales go by the name killer whales?
The killer whale also goes by the name Orca. Killer whales are not whales but dolphins. Where then did they get the name killer whale?
Orcas got the name killer whales because of the prey they eat. A long time ago, ancient sailors saw a pod or group of killer whales hunting and killing other bigger whales. Through their behavior, the sailors gave the killer whales the name orcas asesina ballenas, which meant “killer whale”.
Killer whales are great predators. They eat a wide array of sea creatures. These include large whales like the Minke whales, the great white shark, seals, dolphins, some small fish, seabirds, squids, and sea lions among others. Killer whales’ hunting techniques vary depending on the habitat at hand.
Why are killer whales dangerous?
Killer whales are top in the ocean’s food chain. They hunt large sea prey. A killer whale can hunt and kill a large whale and the great white shark. Killer whales work together as a pod to do the hunting. This makes it easier for them to corner and catch their prey.
Killer whales use echolocation. This is the use of sounds to locate their prey. The sounds they make in the water produce sound waves, which travel through the water.
Killer whales are dangerous to their prey because of how they hunt. They are however not dangerous to humans for they do not include humans in their diet.
Are killer whales aggressive?
Killer whales are friendly sea mammals. Killer whales do not attack and eat humans. Even though they are friendly, sometimes killer whales can become aggressive. This has been seen in aquatic zoos.
Killer whales are sea mammals that like to live together as families. For a killer whale to be taken into the aquatic zoo, the separation causes them to have emotional change. Sometimes, a mother is separated from her calf.
This separation leads to a killer whale having aggressive behavior. The behavior happens because killer whales like living in closely-knit families. The separation emotionally damages them.
While in zoos, killer whales are trained to perform some tricks. Most of the time, when a killer whale is taught something and cannot execute it, they are denied food. The killer whale, being a large mammal, is starved. A killer whale will have some aggression because of this.
While out in the wild, a killer whale can show aggressive behavior. This happens when a predator tries to kill its young. A killer whale will try to protect its young and be aggressive. A killer whale will also show aggressive behavior when its food supply is at risk.
Killer whales have shown aggressiveness by attacking boats. This leads to the damaging of the boats. It is however good to note that no injuries were noted during the attack.
Do killer whales attack people?
While in the wild, killer whales are not dangerous to people. They do not attack people. There are countable instances where killer whales have attacked humans in the wild. Some of the encounters have only led to some injuries but not death.
In captivity, however, there have been four instances where killer whales have harmed their trainers. When kept in captivity, killer whales sometimes feel threatened. This makes them attack their trainers while in captivity.
A killer whale in captivity will also attack its trainer because of being emotionally unstable. Killer whales love to live in groups. When captured, this is taken away from them. Killer whales love to swim and dive deep in the ocean. While in captivity, they do not have this freedom.
This makes the killer whales have stress and get bored. In captivity, killer whales are sometimes denied food if they do not learn the tricks they are supposed to. It also causes them to have mental issues, and they can attack their trainers.
Sometimes, the trainers inflict injuries on the killer whales. It leads to the killer whales having mental trauma. It leads to the killer whale being aggressive and can attack its trainers.
Do killer whales eat people?
The simple answer to this question is no. Killer whales do not eat people. Human beings are not part of a killer whale’s diet. There is no record of a killer whale killing humans. Killer whales also do not attack humans.
Killer whales prefer eating sea creatures like large whales, dolphins, seals, penguins, small fish, and squids. Killer whales are friendly creatures.
Killer whales are also precise eaters and prefer not to eat humans.
Killer whales are sea mammals. Killer whales live in oceans around the world. They are one of the world’s best predators. Some of the prey they eat include large whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, and other small fish.
Killer whales do not eat humans. There have however been instances where killer whales in captivity have attacked their trainers. Killer whales have not killed and eaten humans. Sometimes, killer whales can be aggressive. This will depend on how they are treated by their trainers and their surroundings.
Last Word
Killer whales are generally intelligent and friendly sea mammals. Killer whales live in pods. By using their pods, they become good hunters. They have strength in their pods.
Mr. Mcman
I am Mcman a fish lover. I love fishing since my childhood as may father was also a fisherman. I share all of my experiences in this blog. Stay connected with me to know new findings on Fishing.
