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How do killer whales care for their young?

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  Orca pods have a complex social structure similar to elephants in that they are matriarchal in structure, and the female members are part of the pod for life. the males move between pods within a regional group. When young are born they are helped in swimming to the surface to breath and given piggy back rides to help them cover longer distances with the pod. They nurse on milk for up to two years. Because they don’t have lips, the female basically sprays milk into the babies mouth. Each pod has a distinct culture, including unique language dialects, migration patterns and hunting tactics. This forms a big part of how young Orcas are cared for. The older members of the pod spend a great deal of time passing the culture on. The young are presented with injured prey to learn to kill, for example, and shown where traditional rubbing spots are (Orcas use certain underwater rocks to exfoliate their skin, some as part of a migratory route, some in a residence area depending on the cult...
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Killer Whales Don't Usually Kill People

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  I read that a trainer was killed by a killer whale at SeaWorld Orlando in 2010 but it doesn't change the fact that these giants, they do not kill humans at sea. They have never killed a human in the wild. That's mostly because, unlike sharks, killer whales don't frequent near-shore areas where people swim. Even  shark attacks  on humans are generally accidental, sharks mistaking humans for seals or other typical food.   The orca that killed a trainer at SeaWorld Orlando in 2010 probably didn't intentionally kill the trainer. A SeaWorld trainer said “possibly the killer whale just got bored, since their lives in captivity are more confined than at sea where they spend time swimming hundreds of miles while hunting or playing “.   In general, killer whales are very intelligent and playful animals, amusing themselves anything from kelp to seals. But even though they are shown off at aquaria with fuzzy stuffed animals to boot, they are still wild animals ...
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How do orcas communicate?

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  In orca populations, knowledge is passed to younger individuals from their elders: what to eat and were to find it, how to catch it, who to avoid, vocalizations and calls unique to pods and family groups, and the distinct ‘accent’ of the population. Having multiple prey to choose probably led to the specializations we see today – millions of year ago, different groups started eating different things to avoid competing for the same food. Now these groups are genetically different, in addition to their unique appearance and cultures.
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How do orcas sleep?

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  Orcas sleep in a very different way to humans. We have a breathing reflex and when we sleep, we continue to breathe automatically. Orcas cannot sleep in this way, they have to keep conscious, even when they are sleeping. This is because their breathing is not automatic, they have to decide when to breathe, and they must be conscious even when sleeping. If orcas went into a deep unconscious sleep, they would stop breathing and suffocate. Orcas only allow one half of their brains to sleep at a time; the other half stays alert enabling them to continue breathing while they are looking out for dangers in the environment. They only close one eye when they sleep; the left eye will be closed when the right half of the brain sleeps, and vice versa. This type of sleep is known as unihemispheric sleep as only one brain hemisphere sleeps at a time. Orcas periodically alternate which side is sleeping so in this way they can get the rest they need. When sleeping, orcas swim very slowly, close...
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What do orcas eat?

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Looking at all populations, orcas are generalist eaters, consuming fish, seals and sea lions, dolphins and porpoises, sharks and rays, large whales and more. However, some orcas specialize on specific prey, and they earn customs easily. Once they’ve learned what their family eats, they don’t change their diet.
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Why are orcas called "killer whales" when they are dolphins?

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Dolphins and whales are closely relat ed. Orcas received the name "killer whale" by ancient sailors' observations of groups of orcas that hunted and fed on larger species of whales. In the beginning, they were called as "whale killer", a term that was eventually changed to the easier "killer whale." Their Latin name, Orcinus orca, also reflects this observation of killer whales feeding on large whales. Orcinus translates to ‘of the kingdom of the dead,’ and orca refers to a kind of whale. We know that orcas are top predators, but not the vicious ‘whale killers’ that  the ancient mariners thought of them.  
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ORCAS

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Orcas are incredibly popular because they have peculiar features. They are very familiar with their black and white coloring but  actually, depending on where they live, have very different appearances, behavior, ways of communicating and diet! Find out some amazing facts below abou t the incredible orca s.
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