Essay On Orcas In The Wild

Orcas in the Wild When most people hear about orcas, their first thought is usually of the captive orcas that are trained to perform in shows, such as those at Sea World. But establishments such as those do not show orcas as they truly are, when they are thriving-- in the wild. With no tank glass withholding them, we can learn and understand so much more about them and their vibrant lives. Orcas are incredibly intelligent and social animals. Orcas, or orcinus orca by their scientific name, are known for their panda-like appearance, with black and white bodies and large white spots near their eyes. But do not confuse them to be fuzzy and cute like pandas. Their common name, ‘killer whale’ is well earned. The name comes from their capability and history of killing other whales. Along with whales, orcas feast on a multitude of other large animals such as seals and sea lions. They are not opposed to eating seabirds or fish either. Being able to hunt animals like whales and seals by itself sounds like an impressive feat. But what is actually impressive are the various techniques that they use to acquire their meals. One of these techniques is referred to as ‘carousel feeding.’ With this technique, …show more content…
One technique is called ‘wave washing’ and is used on prey found in Antarctic waters. Pods find ice floes with seals atop them and begin to create waves that break the ice into smaller pieces. Eventually, the seal or seals are washed off of the ice and into the mouths of the pod members waiting on the other side. Another technique used in more temperate areas is called ‘beaching.’ Orcas chase seals and sea lions towards beaches and catch them before they can reach the shore. They are quite clever in their execution of beaching, as they have to do so without beaching themselves. They will time their attacks so that they coincide with the tides, so if they do end up being beached, it won’t be for