Orcas hunting at the ice edge (Photo: J. MacDonald)
Orcas hunting at the ice edge (Photo: J. MacDonald)
Adélie penguin predators
Killer Whales
Killer Whales or Orcas are widespread, black and white, toothed whales
with relatively large dorsal fins. Up to 7 m long, they can weigh as much
as 8 tonnes. Found either singly or in groups of up to 30 individuals,
Orcas are common in the Southern Ocean where the population may be as
high as 200 000.
Unlike most toothed whales, such as Sperm Whales and dolphins, which
feed on fish and squid, Orcas prefer warm-blooded prey like penguins,
seals and other smaller cetaceans. Orcas have been seen attacking Fin
and Minke whales larger than themselves, tearing mouthfuls of flesh, especially
the lips and tongue, from their living bodies. Recent research in Antarctica
points to the possibility that discrete pods of Orca that specialize in
hunting one particular prey type, may in fact be different species.
Orcas hunting at the ice edge (Photo:
J. MacDonald)
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