Page 76 - World of Animals - Book of Sharks & Ocean Predators

Sharks & Ocean Predators
WorldMags.net

Lethal hunting techniques

Orcas make formidable predators thanks to their ability to operate as a team
and make use of methods that are masterstrokes of whale ingenuity

Team work
Spy-hopping Seals have excellent hearing,
Killer whales are the only so the whales remain silent
marine mammal known to before going in for the kill. They
locate and capture prey out remain in parallel formation

of the water by spy-hopping and charge towards the ice floe
– rising vertically above the where a seal is resting.
surface to see what’s there.

Catch of the day
A seal’s teeth are sharp,
so the whales will avoid
getting hurt in the process of
capturing their meal by aiming
for the tail. They will then drag
their quarry under the water
to drown it, before divvying up
portions among the pod.

Making killer waves
Pumping their tails (flukes), the

whales create an almighty wave
that crashes over the ice floe and

washes the seal into the water.
They continue to work as a team
to confuse the seal by blowing
bubbles and creating turbulence.
“The way the killers hunt is a prime example of their

intelligence and fascinating minds.”

by-its-tail, and once they do they will drag the creature to The minke’s only real defence is its sheer endurance, but
the ocean’s depths and drown it. Unlike the seal, the killer the killer whales are genius hunters. The outriders replace
whale can hold its breath for long periods of time. The way one another in relays, keeping up momentum. With many
the killers hunt is a prime example of their intelligence and killers and only one minke, the latter inevitably tires. The
fascinating minds. orcas then move in for the kill, biting and attempting to fl ip
A family that forages together, feeds together, but seals the whale over. By keeping its blowhole submerged, they
only make modest meals. If the opportunity arises, the can effectively drown the minke before devouring it.
orcas will hunt other whales, such as the Antarctic minke. The whales are so expertly organised that they have
These solitary animals easily match the size of a killer been compared to wolf packs, and this fi erce reputation
whale, which is still small by whale standards, but provides has endured since ancient times, giving them their

a hearty feast for a hungry pod. When the minke whale scientific name Orcinus orca. The name comes from the
is within sight, the black-and-white hunters head towards mythological Orcus – the Roman god of death and the
the creature at top speed and draw level. They position underworld. Still, there’s no record of this sea-bound
themselves with one on either side of the victim, blocking behemoth ever killing a human in the wild. In captivity,
any means of escape, and pursue it for hours on end. however, it’s a different story.

76
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net