We had Killer Whales (Orcas) in False Bay last week! They were hunting a huge pod of dolphins (which, on its own was an amazing site).
The front page of "The Argus", our local Cape Town newspaper featured an amazing photo of a Killer Whale with a huge dolphin in its mouth. According to reports, Killer Whales do come into False Bay on occasion, but this was one of the few visits we've witnessed.
We also saw Killer Whales in Tofo (Mozambique) on our trip there last July. It was fascinating to watch them hunting. In this case, they were hunting a mother humpback whale and her calf and the chase went on for hours.
About Killer Whales:
There are 3 distinct species of these warm blooded, air breathing mammals: Resident Killer Whales, Transient Killer whales, and Off-shore Killer Whales. The main factors which set each species apart are social behavior, physical appearance, preferred food, and vocal dialects. At this stage, there is little known of the Off-Shore species of Killer Whales as they are seldom seen in protected coastal waters. Although the travelling ranges of Residents Killer Whales, Transients Killer Whales, and Off-shores Killer Whales overlap, they have never been seen to mix.
Resident Killer Whales eat predominantly fish and although they are often seen in the vicinity of other marine mammals they usually ignore them. Transients Killer Whales, in contrast to Residents, feed almost exclusively on marine mammals or seabirds. The favoured prey of transients is harbour seals, sea lions, and porpoises. Very little is known about the diet of the Off Shore species, but it is believed that they prey on fish for at least part of the year, however preying on Marine Mammals is also possible.
Killer whales often hunt cooperatively in pods for food. They work together to encircle and herd prey into a small area before attacking. When hunting a large whale, a pod of killer whales may attack from several angles (generally transients).
The conical and interlocking teeth of killer whales are well suited for a wide variety of prey, from small schooling fish to large whales. The number of teeth varies among individuals - but there are usually 10 to 14 teeth on each side of the jaw, a total of 40 to 56 teeth. Each tooth is about 7.6 cm (3 in.) long and approximately 2.5 cm (1 in.) in diameter.
Adult killer whales eat approximately 3% to 4% of their body weight in food per day, fully weaned calves can eat up to approximately 10% of their body weight during growth periods.
Male killer whales, or bulls, begin maturing at 12 to 14 years of age and attain physical maturity at about 20 years. Most males probably reach a length of 8 to 9 metres. Females, or cows, average about 7 metres in length and reach reproductive maturity at about 14 to 15 years.
Source: Whale Images.com
The front page of "The Argus", our local Cape Town newspaper featured an amazing photo of a Killer Whale with a huge dolphin in its mouth. According to reports, Killer Whales do come into False Bay on occasion, but this was one of the few visits we've witnessed.
We also saw Killer Whales in Tofo (Mozambique) on our trip there last July. It was fascinating to watch them hunting. In this case, they were hunting a mother humpback whale and her calf and the chase went on for hours.
About Killer Whales:
There are 3 distinct species of these warm blooded, air breathing mammals: Resident Killer Whales, Transient Killer whales, and Off-shore Killer Whales. The main factors which set each species apart are social behavior, physical appearance, preferred food, and vocal dialects. At this stage, there is little known of the Off-Shore species of Killer Whales as they are seldom seen in protected coastal waters. Although the travelling ranges of Residents Killer Whales, Transients Killer Whales, and Off-shores Killer Whales overlap, they have never been seen to mix.
Resident Killer Whales eat predominantly fish and although they are often seen in the vicinity of other marine mammals they usually ignore them. Transients Killer Whales, in contrast to Residents, feed almost exclusively on marine mammals or seabirds. The favoured prey of transients is harbour seals, sea lions, and porpoises. Very little is known about the diet of the Off Shore species, but it is believed that they prey on fish for at least part of the year, however preying on Marine Mammals is also possible.
Killer whales often hunt cooperatively in pods for food. They work together to encircle and herd prey into a small area before attacking. When hunting a large whale, a pod of killer whales may attack from several angles (generally transients).
The conical and interlocking teeth of killer whales are well suited for a wide variety of prey, from small schooling fish to large whales. The number of teeth varies among individuals - but there are usually 10 to 14 teeth on each side of the jaw, a total of 40 to 56 teeth. Each tooth is about 7.6 cm (3 in.) long and approximately 2.5 cm (1 in.) in diameter.
Adult killer whales eat approximately 3% to 4% of their body weight in food per day, fully weaned calves can eat up to approximately 10% of their body weight during growth periods.
Male killer whales, or bulls, begin maturing at 12 to 14 years of age and attain physical maturity at about 20 years. Most males probably reach a length of 8 to 9 metres. Females, or cows, average about 7 metres in length and reach reproductive maturity at about 14 to 15 years.
Source: Whale Images.com
0 Comments:
Post a Comment