New Type Of Killer Whale Found Swimming In Southern Ocean
npr.org
npr.org
i would even argue that they don't "fight" great whites. orcas are faster, larger, and significantly more intelligent than great white sharks. it seems it is an easy enough kill for the pods that know how to hunt them. in fact, great whites off the coast of south africa have been known to leave the area when orcas arrive. that's right: great whites are seemingly afraid of orcas.
it is sad to me humans don't understand them more and still capture and enslave them for entertainment. we also are wreaking havoc in their ecosystems and food sources. they showcase intelligence i am not aware of in any other animal besides humans.
for example, there is a technique they use such that they trick prey that they are leaving. normally, mammal hunting orcas stop vocalizing when hunting. so by leaving the area and vocalizing after an unsuccessful hunt, they relax their prey by signaling they've given up. however, they have communicated to each other to leave a single orca behind that stays silent to catch the prey once it relaxes. then the rest of the pod comes back to share.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whales_of_Eden,_New_S...
"[Killer whale nicknamed] Old Tom's role was commonly to alert the human whalers to the presence of a baleen whale in the bay by breaching or tailslapping at the mouth of the Kiah River, which is one of the smallest rivers... This role endeared him to the whalers and led to the idea that he was “leader of the pack,” although such a role was more likely taken by a female (as is typical among killer whales)".
>Old Tom forced a small whale to the surface, where Davidson harpooned it.[1] Because he wanted to get off the water before a storm arrived, Logan attempted to bring the carcass ashore without Old Tom eating the tongue and lips.[9] Old Tom apparently grabbed the tow rope in his mouth and lost some teeth in the struggle,[7] with Brooks recounting that Logan said "Oh God, what have I done?" when he realised that Old Tom had lost teeth.[1]
>When Old Tom's corpse washed ashore in 1930, the mouth had abscesses from missing teeth and he may have died of starvation.[7][9][1]
Reminds me of pods that only eat the livers of rays.
Whole, dead rays wash up on the beach with only their livers missing.
[1] https://www.sharktrust.org/tonic-immobility
[2] https://allthatsinteresting.com/killer-whales-eat-sharks
[3] https://www.earthtouchnews.com/oceans/whales-and-dolphins/wa...
If there is an article about orca's, I'm gonna read it.
The only thing more interesting than an orca, is an orca fighting a great white.
I love killer whales. I also love that its called a "Type D"
Sounds like a different spec setting for "killer"
I wonder, as killer whales are dolphins, if this may be a porpoise/dophin/killer-whale derivative?
I also wonder if the shape of the head, being more rounded, has to do with its sonar capabilities. Perhaps associated with the range, or the spread of its ability to detect/stun critters with sonar.
What makes it even more special is that I've been to the exact spot and seen pods of Sperm whales (sadly, no Orcas)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2017/mar/29/...
at the end of the story you linked, it seems the orcas did their wave dashing technique on the boat. this has been filmed with the bbc crew having it done to them as well. the orcas had just finished off a seal i believe, and did the same technique with the filmers in the boat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBRu3LGceAg
it looks like they were just halfheartedly doing it, so i am curious if they were sending a message or just training or experimenting.
Additionally they seem to differentiate and prefer their 'own' type so we might be actually witnessing a new species there in and of itself.
Is it just me, or does shooting them with a projectile that tears out some of their flesh seem to not be "harmless", inherently?
Always fascinated by the Orca species.
It’s my understanding there has never been a reported killing of a human by Orcas and that they possess a very interesting and not entirely understood brain.
Apex ocean predator, hunting in packs.