The killer whale is a marine mammal on which a fearful undue fame has been built, since it has been described as the killer whale. These are very active when it comes to hunting, due to their type of carnivorous diet. On the other hand, these animals are commonly identified as whales. However, have you ever wondered if they really belong to this type of cetacean? Keep reading this article on our site and find out if orca is a whale, as well as find out what the differences are between orca and whale.
Are killer whales or dolphins?
Cetaceans make up a varied group of mammalian animals, which share their exclusively aquatic life. Although the greatest diversity is found in the oceans, some species thrive in freshwater ecosystems.
In the animal world, names are often used to identify certain groups or species that do not correspond to the formal aspects of the taxonomy applied by science. However, the latter does not prevent from generalizing the common way of naming animals In relation to cetaceans, something like the above occurs: in general, He usually names some as whales, others as dolphins and, although there are more types, these are the best known within the group.
But not all animals called whales, from a taxonomic point of view, really belong to this group, and killer whales are an example, since are grouped with the dolphins and other aquatic mammals. Now, we can find a distinction in which the terms baleen whales and toothed whales are used.
- Baleen whales: would correspond, among others, to the Greenland whale (Balaena mysticetus).
- Toothed whales: among other species, we find the killer whale (Orcinus orca).
The difference lies in the absence or presence of teeth, since those who lack these have structures called beards, which they use to be fed by a filtration system.
Given the above, then we find that the killer whale is not really a whale, since true whales are classified into the suborder Mysticeti, while the killer whales in Odontoceti, where there are also dolphins, sperm whales, among others.
Why are orcas called killer whales?
As we have mentioned, orcas have been identified with a fearsome qualifier, killer whales, which is surely associated with their hunting agility, since they are extraordinary predators, because they carry out this activity in a group and with great precision.
Killer whales can feed on a wide variety of marine animals, which they efficiently chase and capture. In this way, they are able to eat at least 45 kg of meat a day, but they can even ingest larger amounts, which gives us an idea of their ability to predation Your diet includes from:
- Seals
- Otters
- Smaller dolphins
- Fishes
- Octopuses
- Great Sharks
- Other whales
On the other hand, we found that, although killer whales in the wild have rarely made attacks on humans, the events that have occurred have been related to possible mistakes made by these animals because they confuse them with prey We say confusing because there are no reports of them chasing humans for food.
However, the biggest attacks that killer whales have made on people, some of them even fatal, have involved individuals who keep in captivityIn this regard, we must mention that killer whales are exclusively wildlife animals, that is, they must remain in a state of freedom in the oceans where they They commonly move. Contrary to this, various individuals have been captured and kept in water parks, where they are trained to participate in entertainment performances.
Animals are not here to entertain us, there are some that can be companions and are adequately adapted to living with us in humanized spaces, but this is not the case of killer whales. In this sense, an animal that requires a habitat like the sea needs:
- Commute
- Interact with your pack
- Hunt
When you are confined to tiny pools and subjected to constant training, these aspects that are part of your natural development are modified, which results in permanent stress in this animal, which is why in these conditions they tend to generate attacks against people, reinforcing the inappropriate idea that they are some killers.
We recommend that you take a look at this article on Why do captive killer whales have their dorsal fin bent? so you can learn more about the subject.
Differences between orca and whale
Now that we know that orcas and whales are not the same, let's find out some of the differences between orcas and whales. Next:
- Taxonomy: Orcas belong to the suborder Odontoceti and whales to Mysticeti. In addition, several species of whales are recognized and, although there is evidence to have the same consideration with killer whales and even at the level of subspecies, so far there remains a single species of killer whaleand the subspecies have not been formally named. It is necessary to wait for consensus on this.
- Presence or absence of teeth: killer whales are toothed animals, so they have teeth with which they capture and dismember hunted food; For their part, whales lack them, they have baleen that are keratin structures, and after catching their food, which can be in different ways, they filter the water, which they expel, keeping the food contained. What do whales eat? Don't hesitate to read this post on our site to find out.
- Habitat: Orcas are exclusively marine animals, as are all species of whales. However, within the odontocetes we also find freshwater species.
- Tamaño: orcas do not usually exceed 10 meters in length, but in the case of whales we find individuals that even triple this measure, as is the case of the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus).
- Social behavior: Killer whales tend to form larger groups than whales.
- Respiration: In the case of killer whales there is only one blowhole or nostril located on the head for respiration. Instead, whales have two of these.
