Killer Whale

 Killer Whale

is given by a whaling captain in 1874 who witnessed these "whale killers" in actions and described them as "spreading death and terror."

 Orcinus orca

literally means "whale from the realms of the dead."

Most widely distributed mammals in the world, after man.

This global distribution has led to at least 10 different cultures.

Each killer whale pod has its own dialect, allowing individuals to recognize family members and stick with them for life.

More than 4 species

size

 color

fin shape

saddle pattern

  eye spot

3 different types coexist

At least 25, 000 inhabit 

Hunting seals

Pack-ice killer whales

ragged fins & a yellowish hue

Hunting whales

Hunting penguins or fish

The third pod

much smaller in size

 Advanced predation strategies

In Iceland, there is a type of killer whale that can use their voice to scare the herring. It will make the swim bladder of herring vibrate, and make the whole herring school bunch even tighter, which is a very effective hunting technique.

Highly social animal

Back to nature

In 2010, Tilikum attacked and drowned trainer Dawn Brancheau, in addition to killing another trainer in 1991, reopening the debate about the death of Mr. Dukes.

Many groups believe these captive killer whales suffer stress due to the nature of their confinement, leading them to be aggressive to other dolphins and humans alike.

SeaWorld pledged to phase out killer whale performance and eventually stop keeping the animals in captivity since 2016.