Seth Farina
Mrs. Candela
Language Arts
March 31, 2014
KILLER WHALES
INTRODUCTION
You’re sailing in a whale watching boat in the big blue open water of the Northern Pacific Ocean. You spot a lonely seal on an iceberg and then suddenly a fast wave approaches it. The seal slips off the iceberg and falls into the mouths of two generations of hungry Orcas. Killer Whales which are widely distributed in the world’s ocean, but the status of most populations of killer whales is unknown (Killer Whale (Orcinus orca)). But soon the killer whale will become rare and vanish if we don’t do something remarkably fast.
In this research report I will discuss the Killer Whales unique characteristics; complex migratory patterns, how and why it is endangered, and most importantly how we can help them.
SUBTOPIC 1: CHARCTERISTICS
The body shape of a killer whale is streamlined and round at both ends. This characteristic is quite energy saving for swimming. Compared to whale shapes, this body shape makes the whale faster. (SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment).
In the front of the head is the melon. Its melon transmits sound waves that help it see at night to helping it catch its prey. Killer whales have sharp, cone-shaped
teeth made for ripping and tearing prey. The Killer Whale has no sense of smell because there is a part of their brain missing that is missing. The sense of smell goes unused because they spend most of the time in the ocean. The blowhole helps the Killer Whale to breathe; the blowhole flap provides a watertight seal. To open its blowhole, a killer whale relaxes the muscle covering the hole (SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment).
Killer whales have a recognizable coloration with a black back and white belly. They also have a noticeable o...
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...tion under Federal laws: ESA Endangered- Southern Resident population or the Pacific North-West (Resources).
A killer whale doesn’t have very many enemies. One of a killer whale's biggest enemies is the human species. Humans have been hunting killer whales since the 12th century; whalers around the world have killed thousands of killer whales. Other threats to killer whales are toxic wastes, oil spills, and garbage in the oceans. Oil spills are extremely dangerous because not only do they damage killer whales, but also they will hurt any thing else in the oceans. Garbage kills ocean life worldwide every year. Currently the threats are
1. Contaminants (e.g., PCBs)
2. Not enough food
3. Ship collisions
4. Oil spills
5. Disturbance from industrial and military activities
6. Entanglement in fishing nets
7. Whale watching can be a threat if not done properly (Resources).
Keeping these huge animals in small pools does not seem right. Big mammals are not meant to be in small pools. When these mammals are born they stay with there mother all of their lives. They never leave their mothers until they are captured and put in small pools which is not right. Killer whales hunt in pods, the oldest female in the pod is usually the group leader. Each pod has its own set of whistles, clicks, and calls that only members of the pod recognize similar to having a unique language. Members of many pods hunt in teams. For example, they may work together to create waves to knock a seal from an ice floe and into the open water. In many pods,...
“Whales provide us with the food for our bodies, bones for our tools and implements and spirits for our souls.” “We haven’t hunted the whale for 70 years but have hunted them in our hearts and in our minds.” “Whales are a central focus of our culture today as they have been from the beginning of time.”
For 50 years SeaWorld has entertained park guests with numerous stunts involving the majestic sea creature, the orca, also referred to as the killer whale, and their human trainers. What the on-lookers don’t see at these shows is what goes on behind the scenes: how the whales got there in the first place, and the conditions in which they are housed.
Killer whales are one of the most fascinating displays of ocean life. The killer whale has characteristics that are important to its survival in the ocean. It is interesting to know that killer whales have a plentiful diet. It is astounding to see how killer whales behave in the ocean. I plan to tell you about the killer whale, its characteristics, its diet, and its behavior in the ocean as well as the predation of the orca.
Shirihai, H. and B. Jarrett (2006). Whales, Dolphins and Other Marine Mammals of the World. Princeton, Princeton University Press. p.185-188.
The Killer Whale has many prey and very little predators. They eat fish, squid, seabirds, seals, sea lions, smaller dolphins, porpoises, walruses, other whales, and also turtles. The Killer Whale eats many animals to survive. The Killer Whales hunt in packs 4 to 40. When the
Killer whales are some of the biggest marine animals found at sea. Scientifically killer whales are called Orcinus Orca and they are the biggest dolphin found in the dolphin family. Killer whales are primarily found in the Pacific Northwest, along the coast of northern Norway in the Atlantic and around Antarctica. Some killer whales are also found around Florida, Hawaii, Australia and some other places. A lot of the Orca are found mostly in the Antarctic and Arctic areas of the world. The habitat of a killer whale is usually cold water. Some living factors are fish, sharks, seabirds and some underwater plants and some non living factors include water, floating ice, rocks, kelp, etc. Killer whales primarily prefer cold climates and they occasionally found in warm climated places like the Mediterranean Sea, the Arabian Sea and some other places.
Many whales avoid breeding grounds and feeding areas in relation to several different species of whales being beached have had some kind of trauma beforehand. Scientists are starting to research and discover that most of them were bleeding around the brain and ears. Due to all of the naval ships in the area, people began to question if they had any part of the beaching. “Most previous attempts to determine whether military sonar use and whale strandings are correlated have looked at mass stranding records of beaked whales an...
Well, you know that killer whales get fed in their daily feeding schedule, but do they get fed enough to survive, or will they die of hunger? Well, you know how killer whales can get food and they do not have to get food for themselves. Well let’s just say that if a sea zoo releases a whale back into the wild and the whale is used to being fed by his feeder, so then the whale waits and waits for his food but it does not come. So then the killer whale would die. Also I found on a google chart that in 2004, there were a lot of killer whales but when more years past by, the killer whale population decreased when the population got to 2017, and whoever took the killer whales, is responsible for this decrease in the killer whale
In the 19th century, the fin whale was many times hunted by open-boat whalers, but it was actually safe because of its speed and it many times would sink after killed. But then steam-powered boats and harpoons that exploded on contact were introduced and made it possible to kill and stick, this happened along with Blue and Sei whales on a huge scale
Gray whales are a part of the Baleen Whale family, baleen whales have two blowholes, while toothed whales only have one. Gray whales have rough and short baleen, have no dorsal fin, and only have two to five ventral grooves on the lower jaw. Like many marine animals, gray whales also migrate seasonally. The shape of the gray whales’ torso is the reason why they can dive through water easily and without having the “drag down” feeling. They also have blubbers that can warm them up until the time to migrate. Another adaptation of the gray whales is that they change their feeding styles in order to survive through the climate change and other changes. They usually take a 22,000 kilometers long round-trip journey every year, which is also the longest migration of the mammals.
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.
A question that stumped me every time I walked by the giant blue whale hanging up at the Natural History Museum in New York City was, “Why are whales so huge?!” Years and years later, I have found the answer. Using the research paper entitled “Energetic Tradeoffs Control the Size Distribution of Aquatic Mammals,” published last month by leading scientist, professor William Gearty, as well as news article based off of his discoveries, the solution to my childhood puzzlement has been revealed.
Whales are spectacular marine mammals that can weigh as much as 8 to 12,000 pounds. However, this mammal has certain swimming patterns, which are different than fish. Of course, there are many physical differences between whales and fish, but more importantly how they live and survive in the oceans. However, the swimming patterns of whales vs. fish and the adaptations whales have that help them survive vary greatly. Whales, unlike fish, have bones in their flippers. Because whales are warm blooded and massive, they consume way more food than ordinary fish. This provides the whale with a supply of blubber that helps the whale thrive in the ocean. A big difference between swimming with whales and fish are their tails. A fish's tail is pointed vertically, while a whale's (and a dolphin's) is pointed horizontally. Fish tend to swim from side to side (which is apparently called lateral
Humpback whales breath voluntarily, unlike humans. Since they have to remember to breath, researchers believe humpbacks sleep by shutting off half of their brain at a time. Like orcas and dolphins, humpback whales have noses at the top of their head called blowholes (Animal Planet). Humpback whale calves do not stop growing until they are ten years old (National Geographic). They breed, give birth and care for their newborn calves in the warm waters of Tonga. Instead of teeth, humpbacks have baleen plates, they are brush-like strands of bristle that trap there food until it is swallowed. They have very odd mouths that curve downwards, like an eternal frown. Humpback whales are amazing marine mammals (Big Animal Expeditions)