Killer whale
#1
(This post was last modified: 10-14-2024, 09:32 PM by JHG.)
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The killer whale or Orca(Orcinus orca; Death) is a large toothed whale that lives around the world in the oceans. It's an easily recognizable giant at about 9 meters long and 6.6 tonnes of countershaded colors. Males are larger than females and have the distinct tall, thin dorsal fins while females have shorter, curvier fins. These are highly derived dolphins with origins in the Pleistocene with extinct members of the genus Orcinus being fishers before evolving into predatory sea monsters.
The killer whale travels in mixed pods of adults and calves of both males and females. The diet varies by place. Fish such as haddock, tuna, bluefish, and any sharks, marine mammals such as other dolphins, large whales like sperm whales, minke whales, pinnipeds like seals, and walruses, and seabirds are all fair game. Killer whales are clever killers that will use tricks to hunt like rushing onto land and tipping icebergs to hunt. If one wasn't bad enough, a pack is a true terror and there are few things that can threaten a pack of killer whales. They are not known to eat humans although one should still exercise caution around these sea monsters.
Killer whales give birth like any other whale, tail first in water. Often, several females encircle the mother as she gives birth to make sure no predators get any ideas. Pregnancy lasts up to slightly over a year. Killer whales have lifespans comparable to humans. 
The conservation status of killer whales is Least Concern. They are under no threat except when eating animals that have accumulated certain toxins that scale with trophic levels but there's no need to be worried about these big dolphins.
Killer whales are just that kind of animal that need no explanation and appear frequently in documentaries and aquariums but a bit less frequently in fiction. Some rumors of late surviving mosasaurs and other prehistoric sea monsters are based on skeletons of killer whales. On a weird note, the common name Orca is the species name of this whale. It's no different than calling Otodus megalodon Megalodon.
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#2
I love orcas. :wub: I love their colouring, I love their inquisitive nature, and I actually think they're pretty badass.  B-)

In fact, orcas are somewhat common sights around my neck of the woods (southwestern British Columbia), and whale-watchers around here are first and foremost interested in seeing orcas. Any time the BC Ferries captain talks about an orca sighting on the ferry intercom, a crowd usually forms on the side that they're on. Anywhere in the Salish Sea waters (that is, the Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound plus connecting waters in the USA), it is possible to find orcas. It is supposedly very common to find them in the narrow Johnstone Strait that runs through a somewhat unpopulated area of the Inside Passage, from Elk Bay north to near Telegraph Cove.

The fact orcas eat sharks has been used to humorous effect when the local NHL team, the Vancouver Canucks (whose official logo is based on a loosely Salish-styled drawing of an orca breaking out of ice that has been shaped into a C) plays against the San Jose Sharks - a team we've had pretty good success against in the playoffs over the years. :P The Canucks' mascot is an anthropomorphic orca named Fin, which bears something of a resemblance to the similar mascot of the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, BC, whose name was Klee Wyck ("The Smiling/Laughing One," a Nuu-Chah-Nulth nickname previously given to legendary BC artist Emily Carr).

Speaking of Salish people again, in the traditions of the Coast Salish peoples, being splashed by an orca is good luck! ;)
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#3
They’re also Tyrannosaurus sized.
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#4
(10-05-2024, 02:00 AM)JHG Wrote: They’re also Tyrannosaurus sized.

I have to admit, that is bigger than I thought! I'd always thought they were one of the smaller whales - although, I guess "Tyrannosaurus-sized" is still positively puny compared to goliaths like the blue whale :lol: .

But yes, I've always had a soft spot for these - although, the only one I've seen is a toy one :lol: .
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#5
(10-05-2024, 08:56 AM)Kyng Wrote:
(10-05-2024, 02:00 AM)JHG Wrote: They’re also Tyrannosaurus sized.

I have to admit, that is bigger than I thought! I'd always thought they were one of the smaller whales - although, I guess "Tyrannosaurus-sized" is still positively puny compared to goliaths like the blue whale :lol: .

But yes, I've always had a soft spot for these - although, the only one I've seen is a toy one :lol: .

These are actually the largest Delphinids though most of those whales are not exceptionally large.
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