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 ...
I believe they have been called the Wolf of the Sea for a good reason. Shamu and Free Willy they are not.
They are curious about us until they have other needs I suspect.
*ping*
Just like when Indians became native Americans.
Just like when jungles became Rain Forests.
Just like when swamps became Wetlands.
Just like when rioting and destruction became Peaceful Protests...............
“But Dukes death was from stupidity.”
You are truly right, there. The only thing that surprises me is that after he was drowned, and beat up a little, the whale pretty much decided to wear him as an ornament. Don’t make sense. The rest were recovered in the depths of the pools and this guy was exhibited. Strange.
rwood
One of my favorites is:
Just like when unwed mothers became single Moms.
Words in our language get changed to accommodate certain agendas.
It is a lot easier to get protection for a white shark, than a man-eater. -Tom
Captain Nolans fishing vessel Bumpo?
Orca seal-toss?
“Orca seal-toss?”
To who? The whale was by itself. I thought for sure someone was going to say practice for blowholeo.
rwood
“Whats the other one?”
Capt. Tom, if I may...
Here’s a possibility:
The sperm whales feed on several species, notably the giant squid, but also the colossal squid, octopuses, and fish like demersal rays. Some prey may be taken accidentally while eating other items. Most cetaceans have throats that are too small to swallow a shark; but the sperm whale is an exception. They have been known to eat the megamouth shark and there is evidence of their having eaten a great white shark.
https://quizzclub.com/trivia/do-sperm-whales-eat-sharks/answer/66473/
rwood
It was just a very poorly worded headline.
“It was just a very poorly worded headline.”
Since the liberals took over the bulk of the media and the information highway, I haven’t seen one that isn’t no matter what the category.
rwpood
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.