Killer Whales

During the age of exploration, when European sailors roamed the oceans in search of new lands, and later on, when whaling fleets from both the old world and new set about the globe, the world came to know of a magnificent predator: the Killer Whale. The name finds its origins in the accounts of whalers who saw these massive dolphins (in fact, they are not whales at all) hunting and killing whales and other dolphins. Hunting in packs, they were referred to as 'the wolves of the sea.' So how did such ferocious beast come to be loved by humanity, filling marine parks and doing stunts with their trainers, or else staring in Hollywood films like Free Willy? The animals often seen in the media are not the same whales that earned the name 'killer.' There are two types of Killer Whales, or Orcas, as they are commonly called.

If you have ever seen footage of Orcas beaching themselves and killing sea lions on the Patagonian coast in Argentina, or else have seen video of Orcas attacking Mink whales, then you know what these capable killers can do. But not all Killer Whales feed on large mammals. There are two main types of Orcas (as well as a third type, living in open waters), and they don't interbreed. The first type is a social animal that generally lives near the coast and eats salmon and squid. These whales are referred to as 'pod' or 'resident' whales. They live in extended, matriarchal clans with complex social relationships. These 'pod' Killer Whales are the ones inhabiting sea aquariums around the world. Keiko, the famous star of the film 'Free Willy' was a resident Killer Whale taken from Nordic seas. After being rehabilitated in an Oregon aquarium, where he was taught to fend for himself in the wild, he was released near Norway. Unfortunately, Keiko was so used to humans that he would follow boats along a Norwegian fjord and greet people by the docks. Unable to adjust to a life in the wild, Keiko eventually died of pneumonia.

The second type of Killer Whale also lives in matriarchal clans, but not nearly as large or social as resident whales. These 'sea wolves' have inspired terror in sailors for centuries. They look similar to their cousins, but have more triangular shaped dorsal fins. They are often referred to as 'rogue' or 'transient' Killer Whales. Although they have never attacked and killed a human being, they are very deadly animals. They are much quieter than their cousin, because their prey is not fish. They hunt marine mammals, including whales, dolphins, sea lions, penguins or any other blubbery mammal they can sink their teeth into. There is one account of Killer Whale in Ketchikan, Alaska charging a boy splashing in shallow water and bumping into him. Researchers think the whale might have mistaken the boy for seal, but then aborted its attack at the last moment. The boy survived the encounter.

So the next time you're watching Free Willy, or taking in an acrobatic show of Orcas in a local aquarium, remember the whales you're watching are not the same as the ones that inspired the name 'Killer.'