Killer Whale - literally

[Wilber]

My mind boggles at the whole thing, frankly. Don't get me wrong. I'm no fan of the whale hunt, and I think killer whales are noble creatures, yadda yadda yadda. But there ain't enough money in the world to convince me to get in a tank with one. I watched a rather shockingly uncensored wildlife show years ago where a killer whale used the waves to intentionally beach himself to grab a seal on the shore. The waves carried the whale, with seal in mouth, back out into the water. This told me two things; 1. these are incredibly smart and talented hunters and 2. they'd probably have few qualms turning me into a meal if I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

No they wouldn't. As you say they are incredibly smart and talented hunters. They know what they are hunting and humans just aren't on the menu. I know people who have been surrounded by them while surfing thinking, holly crap do I ever look like a seal in this wet suit. The whales paid no attention to them. I know others who have had encounters with them in boats. The whales have been nothing more than curious. As far as Tillicum is concerned, all three victims were not "eaten", they were drowned, leading many trainers to think that they were victims of over exuberant play rather than an attack.

Personally, I don't think whales should be captured for display but neither should long term captive whales be released. The release of Keiko (Free Willy) was a failure. He became emaciated because of his inability to hunt and trying to integrate him with a wild pod failed. Even though he was eventually confined to a pen in the ocean where he could be fed, he became ill and succumbed to pneumonia.

[Oleg Bach]

If I was a killer whale being held against my will - and some hippy dippy wack job toyed with me everyday like I was her lab dog-- I would go for it also - better to go down with a fight then live in shame.

[eyeball]

I've never heard of orca in the wild with drooped over dorsal fins like you see on captive animals. People often mistake it as a sign of depression but I recall reading its caused by muscle atrophy, apparently they don't get the excersize they need in a small tank.

The dorsals on younger whales are usually stiff and straight and on big older bulls they'll often lean over and wobble around like a big sheet of thick rubber but you never see that droop. I wonder if the droop corresponds to the direction captives lean or tend to go when they endlessly circle about their sad little tanks?

[Guest TrueMetis]

I've never heard of orca in the wild with drooped over dorsal fins like you see on captive animals. People often mistake it as a sign of depression but I recall reading its caused by muscle atrophy, apparently they don't get the excersize they need in a small tank.

The dorsals on younger whales are usually stiff and straight and on big older bulls they'll often lean over and wobble around like a big sheet of thick rubber but you never see that droop. I wonder if the droop corresponds to the direction captives lean or tend to go when they endlessly circle about their sad little tanks?

Dorsal fins do sometimes bend even in the wild and no one knows for sure why.

5. Female and male killer whales can have dorsal fins that may be curved, wavy, twisted, scarred, and completely bent over. Some may even have bullet holes in them.

6. No one is exactly sure why the dorsal fins of killer whales bend, but it may have to do with genetics, injuries, or because the fins can be taller than many humans without any hard bones or muscles for support.

7. A recent survey of killer whales around New Zealand has documented that 23% of wild males had bent fins.

My link

[eyeball]

There's these types of bends as well.

http://www.naturephotography.net/images/Bubas/catalog1.jpg

They're all different in one way shape or form. It sounds like its common for captive animals to develop a pretty distinctive droop as they get older. I've never seen anything quite as extreme myself.

[Guest TrueMetis]

There's these types of bends as well.

http://www.naturephotography.net/images/Bubas/catalog1.jpg

They're all different in one way shape or form. It sounds like its common for captive animals to develop a pretty distinctive droop as they get older. I've never seen anything quite as extreme myself.

Ya it does seem like the bend for captive animals is much more extreme. Interesting thing is they can use the bend to identify individual orca's.

[eyeball]

Stock photo of Keiko, male captive killer whale, orca, Orcinus orca. Note drooping dorsal fin, very uncommon in wild orcas, Oregon Coast Aquarium

Picture #: 011406

Link

Scroll to bottom of the page for picture.

[eyeball]

Ya it does seem like the bend for captive animals is much more extreme. Interesting thing is they can use the bend to identify individual orca's.

Photo ID is a big deal. Saddle patches on orca, patterns and splotches on grays, the undersides of humpbacks and scars and notches etc are all things we look for.

We routinely see the same animals come back year after year. It's like seeing old friends. Many grays and humpbacks will stay in the area for days, weeks and even months. Everything depends on how much food there is of course. They'll eat everything up it seems and leave and just as suddenly show up again weeks later. Tide and moon definitely seems to effect things.

Edited March 4, 2010 by eyeball

[August1991]

What a thread.

I have no problem with hunting whales if it is sustainable and we're using them for meat, oil, leather etc.

Fish and meat are part of my diet and I wouldn't mind trying whale.

I had dolphin in Newfoundland once when one had drowned in a fishing net. After some discussion of how to cook it, we opted to boil it. It tasted like extremely poor quality beef that had been marinated in salt for a month or two. Awful.

[GostHacked]

Nature is not cruel or kind. It just is.

[eyeball]

What a thread.

I had dolphin in Newfoundland once when one had drowned in a fishing net. After some discussion of how to cook it, we opted to boil it. It tasted like extremely poor quality beef that had been marinated in salt for a month or two. Awful.

A gray whale that got tangled up in a herring pond and died was given to a local native band. It went over about as well. A fellow I worked with brought a bit to lunch and I tried a bite and yup, it was pretty awful.

I think humpback was the whale of choice around here but I doubt if anyone is too interested in eating whales anymore.

[Wilber]

A lot of things droop when you get old.

[bill_barilko]

Glad to see at least 2 people here (the usual suspects) know the difference between Residents and Transients.

Click here for a photo is of a Resident feeding in English Bay 08/08/08-taken from a 15' RIH.

[Guest TrueMetis]

Glad to see at least 2 people here (the usual suspects) know the difference between Residents and Transients.

Click here for a photo is of a Resident feeding in English Bay 08/08/08-taken from a 15' RIH.

One group stays in the area the other migrates but doesn't one group only eat fish and the other only eats mammals? (seal usually)

[eyeball]

One group stays in the area the other migrates but doesn't one group only eat fish and the other only eats mammals? (seal usually)

Generally speaking although residents do move about occasionally. I've been given to understand that some Northern Residents in Johnston Straight have been spotted killing the odd seal. Pods and certain individuals are known for being pretty specific about what they eat. Apparently the Southern Resident population around the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound are so fixated on eating only chinook salmon that they risk starvation due to dwindling runs. They've been seen spitting out other species like coho.

Transient is a better term than migrate. Coastal transient pods are like packs of wolves that range about a larger area but then there are also a few transient individuals that tend to stay in one area at least for a while. I believe there are about 250 coastal transients that range between Mexico and Alaska and there is also an offshore population of transients that ranges about the north Pacific that are rarely spotted within a few hundred miles of shore. There hasn't been to much research into them given the difficulty in tracking them so their behavior and habits are even more mysterious.

[wyly]

Generally speaking although residents do move about occasionally. I've been given to understand that some Northern Residents in Johnston Straight have been spotted killing the odd seal. Pods and certain individuals are known for being pretty specific about what they eat. Apparently the Southern Resident population around the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound are so fixated on eating only chinook salmon that they risk starvation due to dwindling runs. They've been seen spitting out other species like coho.

Transient is a better term than migrate. Coastal transient pods are like packs of wolves that range about a larger area but then there are also a few transient individuals that tend to stay in one area at least for a while. I believe there are about 250 coastal transients that range between Mexico and Alaska and there is also an offshore population of transients that ranges about the north Pacific that are rarely spotted within a few hundred miles of shore. There hasn't been to much research into them given the difficulty in tracking them so their behavior and habits are even more mysterious.

evolution as we watch...species adapt by occupying a specific unoccupied niche adapt and exploit it, wait a few thousand years(or less) and you could have a new species...

[eyeball]

evolution as we watch...species adapt by occupying a specific unoccupied niche adapt and exploit it, wait a few thousand years(or less) and you could have a new species...

Killer whales are after all is said, big dolphins.

You have to wonder why the Southern Residents don't switch to other species of more abundant salmon. Perhaps its a cultural thing, like people who don't eat pork or that only eat fish on certain days.

I recall reading somewhere that once upon a time people were able to delude themselves into believing that certain mammals were actually types of fish so they could get around the Friday rule.

[wyly]

Killer whales are after all is said, big dolphins.

You have to wonder why the Southern Residents don't switch to other species of more abundant salmon. Perhaps its a cultural thing, like people who don't eat pork or that only eat fish on certain days.

so over time will they shrink in size, is it necessary to be so big to eat salmon? if that salmon goes extinct does that particular whale pod do so as well?.. or will they adapt and survive by making a switch..hopefully they won't develop a taste for humans..

I recall reading somewhere that once upon a time people were able to delude themselves into believing that certain mammals were actually types of fish so they could get around the Friday rule.

I don't think they were deluded just uneducated, when I was kid it was still common for adults to believe whales were fish... Edited March 5, 2010 by wyly

[Guest TrueMetis]

so over time will they shrink in size, is it necessary to be so big to eat salmon? if that salmon goes extinct does that particular whale pod do so as well?.. or will they adapt and survive by making a switch..hopefully they won't develop a taste for humans..

They're pretty smart I would bet they would start eating something else if it gets that bad.

I don't think they were deluded just uneducated, when I was kid it was still common for adults to believe whales were fish...

The Catholic church classified the capybara as a fish to.

[bill_barilko]

so over time will they shrink in size, is it necessary to be so big to eat salmon? if that salmon goes extinct does that particular whale pod do so as well?..

I thought they were so big/fat/glossy looking specifically because they ate so much fish, certainly meat eating Transients are leaner/scruffier looking but there could be other reason for that I suppose.

FWIW-I've seen the Offshore variety too off WCQCI but not really close up.

[wyly]

I thought they were so big/fat/glossy looking specifically because they ate so much fish, certainly meat eating Transients are leaner/scruffier looking but there could be other reason for that I suppose.

then why aren't seals big fat and glossy...there's something else at work here...

[bush_cheney2004]

then why aren't seals big fat and glossy...there's something else at work here...

See "elephant seal"....plenty big, plenty fat, and plenty "glossy" in the water.

http://roughgem.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/elephant-seal-bull-waving.jpg

[bill_barilko]

then why aren't seals big fat and glossy...there's something else at work here...

Big Fat & Glossy covers most Seals to a T-Sea Lions as well FWIW.

And Yes Elephant Seals are making a comeback in BC-the fellow pictured below was seen on Hornby Island.

Click here to see his ugly mug

[wyly]

Big Fat & Glossy covers most Seals to a T-Sea Lions as well FWIW.

And Yes Elephant Seals are making a comeback in BC-the fellow pictured below was seen on Hornby Island.

Click here to see his ugly mug

seals have fur not the same...plus the enormous difference in size why aren't seals the size of whales, and from what I know of elephant seals they're more bottom feeders and not so much for fish...