Orca Whales
Killer Whales
The orca, or the “killer,” whale is one of the most well-known and most majestic of the sea. Belonging to the dolphin family, the killer whale is found all over the world’s oceans and has been the object of study by many animal researchers over the past few decades. Killer whales are unique mammals in the ways that they live, for example, feeding and migration, also the mother-child relationship. Apart from being such an interesting animal, they are currently endangered. When most people think of killer whales, Shamu comes to mind; the first killer whale to successfully thrive in captivity, also the iconic symbol of the SeaWorld parks. Since the killer whale’s early ...
Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers
|
are very young from illness, accidents, or even predators such as large sharks (Carwardine, 4). If the calf survives its early years, it will remain in the pod for the rest of its life. Each pod has “its own special language, or dialect” in the believed and complex way of communication among other killer whales, and all members of the pod are similar in appearance, even though no two orca’s look exactly alike (Carwardine, 4). Another distinguishing feature of killer whales is their Dorsal fin. Male killer whales have a “huge dorsal fin that can grow up to six feet, females, however, have a much smaller and more curved dorsal fin” (Carwardine, 4). In comparison to their large fins, adult orcas whales can “weigh from three to eleven tons,” and male orcas grow to an “average length of twenty-three to twenty-seven feet but can reach lengths of up to thirty-two feet, and female orcas average between twenty and twenty-two feet” (Killer Whale, National Parks Conservation Association). Pods ...
Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades.
Already a member? Login
|
most interesting methods of hunting prey is used by killer whales off the coast of Argentina on the Punta Norte beaches, where several pods have learned how to catch young elephant seals and sea lion pups in the shallows (Carwardine, 28). The whales survey the beaches for their target and once they have found a victim easy enough for them to catch, they rush toward the beach so fast that they surge out of the water and onto the beach, leaving their prey no time to escape (Carwardine, 29). “Most whales and dolphins are in serious trouble when they “strand” like this, but the killer whales of Punta Norte grab their prey and then wriggle back into the sea” (Carwardine, 30). Other methods of ...
Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library. Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports, and research papers in 2 minutes or less.
|
CITE THIS PAGE:
Orca Whales. (2011, April 24). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Orca-Whales/98377
"Orca Whales." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 24 Apr. 2011. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Orca-Whales/98377>
"Orca Whales." Essayworld.com. April 24, 2011. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Orca-Whales/98377.
"Orca Whales." Essayworld.com. April 24, 2011. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Orca-Whales/98377.
|