ORCA
Orcinus orca
Orcas are also known by their more intimidating name
killer whale, even though they are not a type of whale, but
rather the largest species of dolphin. The term most likely comes from
sailors witnessing killer whales hunting whales many times larger than
themselves, hence a “killer of whales”. Despite a long and fearsome
reputation, killer whales are not considered dangerous to humans, and
along with the bottlenose dolphin are one of the most popular cetacean
species in the world.
Smart and social, orcas make a wide variety of communicative sounds, and
each pod has distinctive noises which are termed dialects that its
members will recognize even at a distance. They use echolocation to
communicate and hunt, making sounds that travel underwater until they
encounter objects, then bounce back, revealing their location, size, and
shape.
Orcas are highly intelligent, social mammals that have long been a part of marine park entertainment, performing shows for audiences. In 2013, the documentary film Blackfish laid bare the psychological toll of captivity, through the story of a wild-caught orca named Tilikum who had killed two trainers at SeaWorld Orlando. The film argues that Tilikum’s stress due to captivity directly led to his aggression towards humans and is highly recommended to get an insight into this issue.
