Orca

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**//__The "Wolf of the sea"__//**
picture from: NOAA ([]]) Taken by:Robert Pittman

"Wolf of the sea", Orca, Killer Whale, these are some of the names given to one of the biggest predetores in the sea, thier scientific name is Orcinus Orca. The Killer Whale was originally called Whale killer by spanish whalers, and the Latins called them Orca meaning "Demon from Hell"

The name Wolf of the sea is given to the Orca becuase some of thier behavors are not unlike that of wolves. They live in close nit family groups called pods that can be made up of 40 individuals though that nmbr greatly varies. The name Killer whale is actually inacurate because this beautiful creature is in fact the largest in the dolfin family. They may be the oceans most deadly predatores, hunting seals, sea lions, sea birds, fish, squid, and even other whales. They have even been known to come copletely out of the water to snach seals off the ice. picture found at: []

An Orca if separated from his pod will probably not survive. The pods are very close and every one is different. Orca pods have been found to be both resident and transient. The resident pods have been found to prefer fish while transient are more likely to hunt marien mammals. Each pod is unique in its style of hunting and even in the sounds they use to communicate. Call patterns, body shape, and coloration are sometimes used to identify different pods. As with the different pods each whale is different. Wale reasearchers can identify certain whales just by a photo of thier dorsal fin. Reasearchers have to be skilled in telling subtle differences in the shape and markings of different whales so that they may be studied better.

From [], credited as "NOAA". The NOAA is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a U.S. Federal Government department. Permission to use photo is given here: []

Picture found at : []

In the wild an Orca can live anywhere from 50 to 80 years, and grow to 23 to 32 feet long! That is almost the length of a school bus. Also they can wheigh up to 6 tons, that is 12000 pounds! When they are first born they can be 7 feet long and wheigh 400 pounds.



photo taken by: Mlewan

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