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Orcas, despite being dolphins, are commonly called 'killer whales' due to a mistranslation of the Spanish 'asesino de ballenas' (literally 'whale killer'), reflecting their historical predation on whales. [6] Since the 1960s, the use of "orca" instead of "killer whale" has steadily grown in common use. [7]
Humpback whale breach sequence. A breach or a lunge is a leap out of the water, also known as cresting. The distinction between the two is fairly arbitrary: cetacean researcher Hal Whitehead defines a breach as any leap in which at least 40% of the animal's body clears the water, and a lunge as a leap with less than 40% clearance. [2]
This includes the sperm whale, oceanic dolphins, usually pilot and Orcas, and a few beaked whale species. The most common species to strand in the United Kingdom is the harbour porpoise ; the common dolphin ( Delphinus delphis ) is second-most common, and after that long-finned pilot whales ( Globicephala melas ).
Killer whales play an important role in our ocean's ecosystem. Female orcas can live up to 90 years, and male orcas live up to 60 years. Whales can communicate through sounds ranging from clicks ...
In general, blue whale populations migrate between their summer feeding areas near the poles and their winter breeding grounds near the tropics. There is also evidence of year-round residencies, and partial or age/sex-based migration. Blue whales are filter feeders; their diet consists almost exclusively of krill. They are generally solitary or ...
The area is also frequented by a dozen other species of marine mammals, such as the Blue and White Dolphin, Risso's dolphin, Cuvier's Whale and Humpback Whale. [101] Covering an area of 87,589 km 2 , it is the second largest MPA in the Mediterranean.
Since 2020, a group of killer whales in the Strait of Gibraltar has sunk three vessels and disabled dozens more. The reason why is unclear. Experts share their theories.
Orcinus is a genus of Delphinidae, the family of carnivorous marine mammals known as dolphins. It includes the largest delphinid species, Orcinus orca, known as the orca or killer whale. Two extinct species are recognised, Orcinus paleorca and O. citoniensis, describing fossilised remains of the genus. [2]