ORCA ─ Superpredator Whale and Shark Killer

The most dangerous marine predator, excellent eyesight, unique social behavior and one of the most intelligent animals on the planet! The ORCA, also known as the

killer

whale

, Orcinus

orca

, or more commonly called the

killer

whale

, is a sight to behold. They have earned the status of being one of the largest members of the dolphin species. Found in almost all of the world's oceans, they are among the most widely distributed species of dolphins, and large populations have been found in cold-water oceans, including the Arctic and Antarctica. They are known to be well adapted to cold and warm water habitats.

Killer whales are top predators and are at the top of the food chain and are easily recognized by their smooth black and white fur, and various populations can vary greatly, both in appearance and lifestyle, with young calves being black more yellowish. A typical

orca

family is made up of an adult female, her adult children, and calves of different ages. During each pregnancy, the female orca gives birth to a calf. Orcas can grow up to 10 meters long and weigh 10 tons, making them the largest dolphins in the world. The male has large dorsal fins compared to that of a female orca.

They have extremely large teeth that usually reach a length of 4 to 10 centimeters. You have to pay attention to their teeth because their grip is very strong. Orcas have spectacular eyesight that allows them to see with crystal clarity both above and below the water. The total number of orcas of different species is unclear, but it is assumed to be quite high, at least 50,000 individuals, of which approximately half live in Antarctic waters. Orcas have a very long lifespan that varies between 60 and 80 years. , almost like people. She is the wolf of the sea, because no one dares to set their eyes on her, because there is no natural predator... a true Beast!

The basis of nutrition for many killer whale populations is fish. It can eat both small fish such as herring and large predators, from rays to

shark

s. Orvish techniques are extremely diverse and can sometimes be very complex and unusual. When

shark

s are hunted, the main focus is their large liver, which is full of fats, proteins and vitamins, as their meat is rarely eaten due to its high toxic urea content. Even seabirds like penguins are often hunted by killer whales. Although it is not easy to catch a king penguin in the water because it is far superior to an orca in terms of maneuverability;

However, in the event of a surprise attack, the orca has an advantage since it can accelerate up to 56 kilometers per hour, while the penguin's maximum speed does not exceed 14 kilometers per hour. An orca's diet includes about 20 species of pinnipeds, including seals, sea lions and fur seals. So, when they covet a seal resting on an ice floe, a scout orca detects the seal and coordinates the rest of the pod using sound signals to simultaneously swim just under the floe and create a wave that the seal rolls up. in water. When they hunt sea lions, their motive is to isolate the weakest individual in their group and not give them the opportunity to return to shallow waters.

The orca then exhausts its victim with continuous attacks and stuns it with powerful tail blows. Finally, the most powerful orca deals a fatal blow to the exhausted sea lion, and it's over... But even on land sea lions cannot feel completely safe, because even adult male elephants, the largest pinnipeds, grow up to 7 meters long. and 5 tons in weight, can become prey for orcas. Despite being its close relative and superior to the killer in speed and maneuverability, dolphins are often victims of this super predator. As well as many other whales, such as porpoises. Orcas manage to capture fast and agile dolphins thanks to well-coordinated collective actions and group unity.

All killer whales have very complex social behavior and an incredibly high level of intelligence. Studies have shown that each group has its own dialect and a set of unique sound signals that are transmitted from generation to generation through learning very similar to communication between humans. The production of whistles, pulsed calls, echolocation clicks, jaw clenches, and low-frequency bursts are the ways in which the orca expresses itself in a pod. This complex communication system, combined with high intelligence, as it has the second largest brain among marine animals, allows killer whales to successfully hunt not only dolphins, but also the largest animals on the planet.

Enter the whale...which is the primary prey for many killer whale populations. When a whale is hunted, about 50 orcas group together and inflict several bites on it, trying to immobilize it, after which the whale, weakened by blood loss, drowns, preventing it from reaching the surface in search of air. It's not disgusting? With a length of 33 meters and a mass of about 200 tons, even the largest animal known in the entire history of the Earth, the blue whale, can become prey for the rulers of the oceans... Large pods that More than 75 orcas gather to destroy this enormous animal...

Orcas are very efficient and creative in their work, as they adopt a different pattern each time to launch an attack. However, an interesting fact is that orcas in captivity often get bored and one form of entertainment for them is hunting birds with bait. First, the killer whale throws a small fish to the shore to the birds, which attracts the birds' attention. He keeps casting fish closer and closer, gradually reducing the distance to the point where he suddenly pounces on the unsuspecting bird. Orcas like to travel in pods. The pods are small groups of 40 individual orcas, formed not only to hunt, but also to communicate and live as a family.

Several related families can unite and form a single group, in which all individuals maintain friendly relations. But mating takes place only between individuals from different herds, to avoid inbreeding. Orcas demonstrate the ability to be trained in captivity. Curiosity, joy and the ability to solve problems are commonly observed. However, there have been cases where captive orcas have attacked and even killed humans, as the stress caused by boredom, loneliness, and separation from the calf, along with the orcas' high intelligence, may have played a key role in making them aggressive in some cases. way to their handlers and people who venture out of their comfort zone;

Especially since hunger was never the cause of the attacks. Of the four killer whale deaths in recent history, three of them were the work of the same captive killer whale named Tilikum. On the other hand, in nature, orcas behave very kindly towards humans. No fatal attacks by wild orcas have been reported so far. At the same time, killer whales are not afraid of people and even willingly come into contact with them. According to the IUCN, the orca's conservation status is being upgraded from conservation dependent to data deficient. Prey population decline, pollution, large-scale oil spills and habitat alteration are the main factors leading to their depletion.

Orcas are one of the endangered species of marine life that are friendly to humans and need to be protected. Interestingly, despite their large size and large numbers, killer whales are one of the least studied marine mammals. Tell us what you think about this absolute unit of playful, intelligent, ocean-ruling, whale-

superpredator

, and shark-killing beast in the comments section below. Also, don't forget to leave a like on this video, hit the subscribe button, and hit the notification bell to see more Amazing Beasts. Thanks for watching, see you next time.