Killer whales truly deserve their name. They’ve been observed taking down everything from sea lions to great white sharks. And now, for the first time, they’ve been observed attacking and killing the largest animals on earth: blue whales. Scientists writing in the journal Marine Mammal Science on January 21 recorded three incidents in which orcas […]
Tag: killer whales
Seeing 1,000 glorious fin whales back from near extinction is a rare glimmer of hope
Good news doesn’t get any more in-your-face than this. One thousand fin whales, one of the world’s biggest animals, were seen last week swimming in the same seas in which they were driven to near-extinction last century due to whaling. It’s like humans never happened. This vast assembly was spread over a five-mile-wide area between […]
Tell SeaWorld to Send its Orcas to Sanctuaries
Amaya, the youngest orca at SeaWorld, died unexpectedly last month. While this may seem like a one-time, tragic incident, it is well established that orcas suffer in captivity. Orcas, otherwise known as killer whales, are the largest member of the dolphin family and are found in every ocean on the planet. They are able to […]
Stranded Killer Whale Saved After Long Rescue Effort
On July 29, a stranded killer whale was found washed up on the rocky shore in Alaska. It was stuck in the crevice of the rocks that were several feet above the tide line. It took rescuers hours before they were able to successfully release the stranded killer whale. The largest amount of time was […]
Harassers of resident orcas could face $1M fine, jail time
Boaters who don’t follow mandatory sanctuary and approach distances could be fined up to $1 million and face up to 18 months in jail. B.C.’s federal whale protection unit has warned boaters, drone pilots and paddle boarders to keep their distance from southern resident killer whales this summer. With only 75 animals left off B.C.’s […]
UK government seeks to extend protection of ivory-bearing animals
Hippos, walruses and killer whales could receive greater legal protection under government proposals to extend the ban on ivory poaching. The plans would see the Ivory Act broadened to cover more animals, with ministers saying elephants are not the only species at risk. The proposed protections opened for public consultation on Saturday, and the Department […]
Race To Find Beached Baby Orca’s Mother In New Zealand
Wildlife rescuers in New Zealand were scrambling to keep a stranded baby orca alive Wednesday, as volunteers scoured waters off Wellington to find the calf’s mother. The killer whale, a male aged four to six months, washed ashore on rocks just north of the capital on Sunday and was refloated by wildlife officers after distressed […]
Dead Baby Orca Shows Harmful Chemical Levels
An autopsy of a 10-day old orca found in Norway in 2017 revealed high levels of chemicals, according to a new study. Live Science reported that the young killer whale was one of eight orcas tested in the study. Seven of the tested orcas had levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) high enough to cause health […]