Tragedy struck off the coast of Canada’s Vancouver Island as efforts to rescue a stranded killer whale ended in sorrow. The stranded orca, identified as T109A3, sadly perished despite the valiant efforts of residents and marine officials. She left behind a calf. The incident unfolded when members of the Ehattisaht First Nation spotted the distressed […]
Tag: orcas
Researchers Use Drones and Infrared Cameras to Help Endangered Orcas in the Pacific
In an audacious twist on wildlife conservation, veterinarians are now making “house calls” to the majestic killer whales of the Pacific Northwest. Armed with drones and infrared cameras, a team of intrepid researchers is pioneering a novel approach to monitoring and potentially treating endangered orcas in the wild. Source: San Diego Zoo/YouTube The focus […]
California dazzled by ‘extremely rare’ killer whale sightings off southern coast
Experts and whale watchers have been dazzled by a series of orca sightings off the southern California coast that are being described as “extremely rare”. A group of 10 whales – including a calf just a few months old – has been spotted for the past two weeks off the coast of southern California, between […]
9 Famous Orcas Who Died in Captivity and Why it Should Never Happen Again
Orcas are one of the most used whales when it comes to marine-based shows. For years they have been kept in enclosures that are far too small in less-than-satisfactory conditions. Due to this, many orcas – which should be free to roam the ocean – ended their days in tanks. The untimely deaths of 9 […]
North Atlantic orcas reveal the troubling persistence of toxic ocean pollutants
With their shiny black tops and pure white undersides, the killer whales, or orcas, are the sleekest hunters in the ocean. But being apex predators comes with a great cost. Their bodies absorb the chemical pollutants that build up in the long chain of prey leading to their meals. Now, a recent study in Environmental […]
Scientists battling orcas sinking yachts tackle problem with heavy metal music
Sailors in the southwest of Europe are facing an unusual challenge – an increase in killer whale attacks on boats. Some have found a surprising solution to deter these attacks: playing loud heavy metal music through underwater speakers. In recent years, sailors in the region have been dealing with an unprecedented number of killer whale […]
Mystery as Orca Swallows Six Sea Otters Whole
An orca has been found dead with a very strange meal inside its stomach: Six whole sea otters, fully intact, with a seventh stuck in its throat. The orca’s carcass was found off the coast of the Russian Commander Islands in the Bering Sea in 2020. Investigating scientists then discovered the sea otters, weighing a […]
Orcas Sink Forty-Foot Yacht During 45-Minute Attack
A group of orcas have sunk a yacht after an attack in the Strait of Gibraltar. The 40-foot yacht belonging to Polish tour company Morskie Mile had been sailing in the Strait of Gibraltar on October 31 when a pod of orcas surrounded it. The orcas proceeded to ram into the steering fin of the […]