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killer whale
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killer whale

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A killer whale in British Columbia. Killer whales live in groups of up to 50 individuals, and often swim in formation. They have been kept in captivity and taught to perform. There are no known instances of killer whales attacking and killing humans.
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The killer whale or orca, a hunter of seals and penguins, is found in all the oceans of the world, and can grow to a length of 9 m/30 ft. Many are in captivity. This whale was photographed in the aquarium at Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada.

Toothed whale belonging to the dolphin family, found in all seas of the world. It is black on top, white below, and grows up to 9 m/30 ft long. It is the only whale that has been observed to prey on other whales, as well as on seals and seabirds. (Species Orcinus orca, family Delphinidae.)

It has been tamed and trained to perform in sea circuses and has proved to be gentle, friendly, intelligent, and hard working, thus prompting use of its alternate name orca in the US.



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? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
The humpback whales' two main predators are killer whales and humans.
Humans help: hurt humpback by Soule, Teresa / New Life Journal
If climate warms, sub-Arctic species may move north and compete with narwhals for food, and killer whales, which attack narwhals, might move into previously ice-covered waters.
That's one weird tooth: and other bulletins on the elusive narwhal by Milius, Susan / Science News
Usually you'll see the flukes, but I've never seen one spout, and I have seen killer whales in pods, but not off a whale-watching boat,'' Lois says.
WHALE-WATCHING CRUISES GET THE SEAL OF APPROVAL by Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
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