(ORDO NEWS) — The killer whale (Orcinus orca) is the largest representative of dolphins and a very dangerous predator.
Adult males can reach 10 in length; Of course, they need to eat a lot. In the water, it is almost impossible to escape from a killer whale, but it happens that you can’t easily reach the prey – it is on the ice. Does that mean she’s safe? Look at the answer with your own eyes.
Killer whales may seem very cute, but in fact they are terrible aquatic predators. They prey on many species and are, in fact, at the top of the food chain in their region.
Who do killer whales prey on?
Killer whales belong to the dolphin family and are the only members of their family who prey on warm-blooded animals. In length, they can reach 9-10 meters, which allows them to defeat a large number of sea creatures in battle and feed on them.
In fact, what killer whales prey on depends on the region where they live. The populations of the Norwegian Sea, for example, prefer herring and even migrate for these fish every season. Other killer whale populations prefer to hunt primarily pinnipeds
Killer whales are divided into groups according to food preferences and prefer to exist within them – in groups, animals get food together.
Killer whales in the wild do not attack humans, but they are not afraid of them either. People are simply not interested in these cetaceans as food. On the other hand, if a killer whale is hungry, it may not disdain human flesh. There are cases when killer whales showed aggression towards humans, albeit in captivity.
How killer whales hunt seals on ice
Prey is not always so easy given to a formidable predator. A seal, for example, can climb onto an ice floe and quietly hide there from formidable cetaceans.
The hunting process of killer whales is very interesting. First, the predator determines where the prey is by looking out of the water. Then the killer whale swims under the ice floe, actively wagging its tail and creating a wave.
If the ice floe is too massive, then relatives come to her aid. Swimming in sync, they rock the ice floe so that it breaks, and the seal simply slides into the water.
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