Physical Characteristics Orcas have fusiform bodies, meaning that they are spindle-shaped. This allows them to glide through the water with very little resistance. The male and female orca are different in terms of their size, weight, and the shape of both their dorsal and pectoral fins. Males generally range from 22 to 27 feet in length, weighing between 8,000 and 12,000 pounds. Females generally range from 17 to 24 feet in length, weighing between 3,000 and 8,000 bounds. A male’s pectoral fins, dorsal fins, and flukes grow larger than a female’s grow, making it easy to distinguish the sexes of the species. Orcas are easily recognizable due to the coloration. While mostly black in coloration, the area behind the dorsal fin is tinted gray, …show more content…
4. What is this animal's main prey? There are two different diets depending on whether the orca in question is a residential orca or a transient orca. The staple prey of a residential orca is salmon, while the staple prey of a transient orca is sea lion. What got me interested in orcas originally was the video I saw where an orca nearly killed itself in an attempt to capture a sea lion pup, so that is the prey animal I am going to focus on in this report. 5. Write a report on this animal. Physical …show more content…
Female sea lions range from 5 to 6.5 feet in length, weighing between 110-240 pounds. Males are much larger than females. Sea lions have fusiform bodies, allowing them ease of movement through the water. While the color of sea lions vary, males are typically chocolate brown while females and young males are tan, and pups are dark chocolate brown. Males lighten as they age. The foreflippers of a sea lion are large and resemble wings, allowing the sea lion to swim. There is no hair on the foreflippers, and the foreflippers also lack claws. This allows the sea lion to use the foreflippers in a winglike motion to propel themselves through water. The hind flippers are used to steer while swimming, and, on land, the sea lion can rotate the hind flippers underneath the pelvis area which allows the animal to support its weight and walk on all fours (SeaWorld: California Sea Lions: Physical Characteristics). Habitat Sea lions can be found along the coast of the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. California sea lions breed on islands off the coast of California. Other breeds of sea lions can be found off the coasts of Ecuador and Columbia. They prefer rocky and sandy beaches of coastal islands as well as the shoreline of the mainland (SeaWorld: California Sea Lions: Habitat and Distribution). Predators and
The California sea lion is a pinniped. A pinniped is a carnivorous aquatic mammal of the order Pinnipedia. Sea lions, like all other pinnipeds, have nostrils that they can voluntarily close while diving in the water. Inside the nose of a sea lion are bones called turbinate bones. When the sea lion inhales, these bones moisten and warm the air and stop inhaled particles from going into the trachea or the lungs. In the back of the sea lion’s nose, there are ethmoidal turbinate bones which give it its keen sense of smell. The nasal septum of a sea lion separates the nasal cavity into left and right halves.
Orca whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. Orcas are very curious creatures, they like to sky hop, which is when they poke their heads out of the water and look around, and they can also dive to as much as a hundred feet. These social animals live in pods and stay with them for their whole lives. They are so family oriented that they can may sleep together in a tight circle and have synchronized breathing. Orcas can grow up to thirty-two feet and can weigh nine tons. They typically eat five percent of their body weight and are amazing hunters. The lifespan of an orca in their natural habitat is about fifty years. This lifestyle for them is wonderful because they can swim as far as they want to and are free. Orcas should not be held captive because the capture process is dangerous, it is not good for their health, and their trainers are at risk. Free Willy. Dir Simon Wincer. 1993.Video. Warner Bros Home Video
The physical characteristics of a gorilla are, the male may be from a height of 5.5 ft and a weight of about 400 lbs. The female can be as tall as 5 ft. and weight almost about half the weight of the male. Their skull is pretty much similar to ours, but their bones are thicker. The gorillas spin...
Unlike most other whales, Narwhals have no dorsal fin, instead they have a low bumpy ridge that begins at about the midpoint of the back and continues to the fluke#. Tusks The tusks, giving Narwhals the name, “Sea Unicorn”, is actually a tooth that can reach up to nine feet long and can weigh up to 20 pounds. Males and females are born with two teeth pointing forward in the upper jaw. The left tooth of the male grows long and spirals counter clockwise toward the tip.
The condor will eat anything from the remains of a deer, to a large marine mammal like a whale. “California condors can soar on warm thermal updrafts for hours, reaching speeds of more than 55 miles per hour and altitudes of 15,000 feet with flights up to 150 miles. Condors hold their wings in a horizontal position and fly very steadily.” (Calvin & Rosanna Hamilton, 2005-2008) California condors mature and reproduce slowly.
The reason as to why their fins become this way is because they simply do not have enough space to be able to swim around and the diet they are fed is an unhealthy one.... ... middle of paper ... ... Works Cited "8 Reasons Orcas Don't Belong at SeaWorld" SeaWorld Of Hurt: Where Happiness Tanks. N.p., n.d. Web.
Orca whales do not like to be taken from their family, held captive for many decades and put with other whales that they do not know. No other living organism on this planet would like to be put through the same thing. Orca whales are highly social animals, they are very intelligent, and are very emotional. If they are kept away from other whales, fed intermittently and received little attention from staff makes them get very emotional and can lead to death of people and the whales. Orca whales should not be held captive; they are beautiful creatures that are not great for people’s amusement and if they are treated poorly, they will act poorly.
Sarai Michel English 9HP, Period 4 When I was six years old, my parents took me to SeaWorld for the first time. I remember clearly watching the Shamu show and sitting in the splash zone, ending up soaked in water by the end. But I also distinctly remember wondering how an animal so big and beautiful could ever be happy in such a small tank, so far away from home. The animals could never possibly experience the joy they would have out in the wild where they belonged.
Orcinus orca is the scientific name for the massive marine mammal. Orcas are not rare, but have declining numbers in some areas (Martin.) Orcas are found from the Artic Ocean to the Antartic Ocean. (Britannica) They belong to the Delphinidae, or dolphin family, which is the largest of their species. Female orcas grow to be at the most 15 feet, and weigh up to 4 tons, but the males can grow as large as 20-30 feet, and weight up to 8 tons. (Martin) The color of the orca is white in some spots, black on the majority of the body, and gray just behind the dorsal fin. It is white on the chin, belly and the eye. The white patch above the eye is usually mistaken for the eye, and may confuse their prey, but acts as a camouflage for the eye. The name “killer whale” makes people tend to believe that this is a viscious man-eating mammal, yet it is one of the most shrewd, docile and playful species of the marine mammals. The orca is sexually mature at 10-15 years of age, much like humans, which is 12-13 years of age. They tend to mate year round, and is able to have a calf every two years. It is interesting to know that lactation of the mother lasts 12 or more months (Wynne.) The life expectancy of orcas is 45-50 years of age.
Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are actually the largest member of the dolphin family. They were given the name “killer whale” by sailors who often observed them attacking and killing seals, sea lions, walruses, penguins, dolphins, polar bears and even other whales (Orcas).
Orcas, or killer whales are majestic giants of the sea. They are actually the largest type of dolphin. They have long black bodies with distinct white patches near their eyes. A killer whale can be up to 32 feet or more in length, and weigh up to 12,000 pounds. Females are a bit smaller, but live longer (Gorman). The name “killer whale” apparently came not because it is a vicious whale, but because it preys on whales. They do not have any natural predators, and they are considered the “top dog” of the ocean. Not even the great white shark stands a chance against these superb killers. “Unlike sharks, killer whales are cautious hunters, sometimes spending hours harassing a 1,000-pound sea lion so it can easily be drowned” (Francis). Orcas use many hunting tactics that are unique to their species, which is what makes them invincible.
Lions have relatively short-legged, long, muscular bodies and large heads. The male grows on average to 1.7 to 2.5 m (5.6 to 8.2 ft) long, not including the tail, which is 90 to 105 cm (36 to 41 in) in length. It stands 1.23 m (4 ft) high at the shoulder, and it weighs 150 to 250 kg (330 to 550 lb). The mane, which covers the head and neck, sometimes extends to the shoulders and belly. The mane will vary in color and length; well-fed, healthy lions have longer, fuller manes. Females are smaller but equally muscular. Lions vary in color from golden to brown. The mane of a male lion will vary from black to yellow. Both sexes have retractable claws to keep them sharp when they are needed. Lions have wide powerful jaws. The lions roar, which can be heard by humans up to 9 (5.6 miles) kilometers away, is usually uttered before the animals hunt in the evening, after a successful hunt, and again in the early morning.
An orca, more commonly known as a killer whale, is currently one of the largest marine animals held in captivity. Countless arguments are being made, supporting and opposing captivity of orcas to be exploited as circus animals in theme parks around the world. Throughout recent history, Sea World trainers have been injured and killed by the orcas and the whales, and the whales themselves have been observed as severely depressed. If Sea World releases the whales, they would undergo an immense economic downfall and the whales would be too weak to survive in the wild if they were freed. Since the first Sea World park opened in San Diego, California in 1964, common questions have arose concerning the well-being of orcas in captivity, the dangers of humans training them, the physical capability of whales theoretically being released, and the psychological differences between whales living in the wild versus whales living in Sea World's confinement.
larger and heavier than the males. An average female (called a falcon) weighs a little over
... meat, blubber, bones and oil. Also, orcas hunt humpbacks in packs, especially when there is a newborn (Office of Protected Resources).