Posted on 09/13/2020 1:40:18 PM PDT by Capt. Tom
Just when you think orcas couldn't possible be any more awesome, they get even better. A study in 2019 showed these whales are really good at scaring off the most feared beast in the sea. Yep. Orcas have toppled the great white shark off their 'apex predator' throne.
A team of marine scientists found that great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) will make themselves extremely scarce whenever they detect the presence of orcas (Orcinus orca).
"When confronted by orcas, white sharks will immediately vacate their preferred hunting ground and will not return for up to a year, even though the orcas are only passing through," said marine ecologist Salvador Jorgensen of Monterey Bay Aquarium.
The data revealed that whenever orcas showed up in the region - as in, every single time - the sharks made a swift exit, stage left, and stayed away until the next season. They would choof off within minutes, even when the orcas only hung around for less than an hour.
In addition, orcas have been observed preying on great white sharks around the world, including near the Farallon Islands. It's still a little unclear why, but the orca-killed sharks that wash ashore (one is pictured at the top of the page) are missing their livers - their delicious, oil-rich, full-of-vitamins livers.
Whether the sharks are instinctively avoiding the predators that can so handily eviscerate them, however, or whether transients in the past have bullied the sharks away from the elephant seal food source is still an unknown. snip..
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencealert.com ...
If only they had some onions.....
Apologies for my ignorance concerning the orcas off of Cape Town. I hadn’t come across that reporting. However, it does support the idea that orcas have been feeding on Great Whites long enough for the flight response to become embedded in their behavior.
False Bay So. Africa was the go to spot for sensational film footage of white sharks attacking seals, and towed seal lures to catch the white sharks in the air. Then it stopped?
Maybe we know why now?- Tom
As the white shark apologists would say, the Orca must have mistaken the fishermen for seals. -Tom
It says there’s another creature that scares the shark. One is the Orca. What’s the other one?
Maybe some idiot in a similar looking boat shot or otherwise killed or injured an Orca. They may be smart enough to seek revenge.
The two distinct populations off the West Coast feed differently...one on marine mammals, and the other on salmon. The ones feeding on salmon are in trouble.
He said the scariest thing about killer whales was their intelligence. They could plan ahead. There is a similar creature called a false killer whale that didn’t bother him at all.
Perhaps some beaches should play some underwater orca sounds to scare away the sharks.
It’s still a little unclear why, but the orca-killed sharks that wash ashore (one is pictured at the top of the page) are missing their livers - their delicious, oil-rich, full-of-vitamins livers.
Watched a document how they cornered a pod of dolphins.
As you said, just like a pack of wolves. Total massacre...
“Dang have I still got a memory or what! “What?”
You beat me and I’ve watched them all.
..an Orca has never killed a human...
There have actually been three deaths recorded. Tilikum, nicknamed Tilly, was a captive orca, who spent most of his life performing at SeaWorld Orlando. He was responsible for all three. He was captured in Iceland in 1983 at Hafnarfjörður, near Reykjavík. About a year later, he was transferred to Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia. He was subsequently transferred in 1992 to SeaWorld Orlando, Florida.
On February 20, 1991, Keltie Byrne, a 21-year-old marine biology student and competitive swimmer, slipped and fell into the pool containing Tilikum, Haida II and Nootka IV while working as a part-time Sealand of the Pacific trainer. The three orcas submerged her, dragging her around the pool and preventing her from surfacing. It was several hours before her body could be recovered from the pool.
On July 6, 1999, a 27-year-old man, Daniel P. Dukes, was found dead over Tilikum’s back in his sleeping pool. Dukes had visited SeaWorld the previous day, stayed after the park closed, and evaded security to enter the orca tank unclothed. An autopsy found numerous wounds, contusions, and abrasions covering his body that were allegedly caused by Tilikum. The autopsy concluded that Dukes’ cause of death was drowning.
On February 24, 2010, Tilikum killed Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old trainer. Brancheau was killed following a Dine with Shamu show. The veteran trainer was rubbing Tilikum as part of a post-show routine when the orca grabbed her by her ponytail and pulled her into the water. Some witnesses reported seeing Tilikum grab Brancheau by the arm or shoulder. Brancheau’s autopsy indicated death by drowning and blunt force trauma.
There are few instances where humans/orcas actually face up, so the possible killing of a human are infrequent. But even the animals in captivity are still animals and will react that way.
I was pushed by my kids to be part of the show at the lion area at Marine World Africa USA in Vallejo, ca, and they took me and made me king. I wore a cape and a crown. They brought in close to a 300 plus pound male lion and it sat at my right hand during the show. They asked me to leave it alone. No problem there. I did watch it, but it sat down for the whole show and never even gave me a glance. If it wanted me, I was toast. Didn’t volunteer there again to even pick up someones handkerchief. I did get even with the kids, though.
rwood
Dolphins I think?
Great post
But Dukes’ death was from stupidity
I’ve always been conflicted on that one, “orca” or “okra”.
Thing is, I LOVE to eat okra (and I wouldn’t touch THAT thing), but the orcas are cute (need I say more :^P))..
So, what to do?
Its more of a dig on her to say okra.
Remember when doing this, the object youre targeting is the focal point, not you.
That Great White picture adds new meaning to the name doesn’t it. Bleached or bled out white.
But she got it back in time for her next movie.
No harm, no fault, no foul.
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