Killer whale: whale killer or intellectual?

In humans, the killer whale has the same black and white reputation as the color of its hide. Many call this mammal a family of dolphin killer whales (killer whales). Russian sea hunters have defined this king of the ocean according to his upward spit, like a braid, a "killer whale", although in scientific Russian-speaking circles it is customary to call him "killer whale". The Latin name given to him by Linnaeus sounds like Orcinus orca. These animals are very mysterious, but those scientists who are engaged in them, argue that killer whales are unusually intelligent, sociable animals, but with their own. The reports of cannibalism were overly exaggerated.

Whale-killers live in all oceans and seas, with the exception of internal ones. They prefer cooler tropical waters. To people this giant was known for a long time. The first was described by Pliny the Elder (1st century AD): "This is a huge mountain of flesh, equipped with horrific teeth, a thunderstorm of other whales, which attacks them and pierces like a military ram." Yes, despite the fact that the killer whale is inferior in size to the largest animal on the planet - the blue whale, it fearlessly attacks even him.

The size of the whale-killer is really impressive. Females reach a length of seven meters and weight of four tons, and males even more: 10 meters and 8 tons. The modest size of the ladies does not prevent them from leading: in the schools of killer whales, a strict matriarchy reigns. It is interesting that males never leave their mothers with age, whereas daughters, having reached a considerable age, can sometimes leave their native clan with some other members in order to found a new flock. The family is headed by an elderly "matriarch" surrounded by children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces. Life expectancy in males is 50 years, and females live much longer - on average 75 years.

The killer whale has an extremely low birth rate. Females before the age of thirty are little interested in the opposite sex, and in 40-50 years they lose this interest. For 10-15 years, during which the active reproductive period lasts, the female gives birth to a not very large number of kittens, since the pregnancy lasts 16 months. Slightly less than half of all young people die before they reach the age of one year. In the schools there is always peace. Never been seen fighting for a female or a male, healthy individuals support the sick and old. Even the meetings of different flocks never lead to clashes for production or territory. In the northern part of the Pacific Ocean , you can often find completely black (melanists) and white (albino) individuals, which the pack does not expel as "white crows".

Killer whales have from 40 to 48 teeth up to 12 cm long. A whale-killer hunts, showing great intelligence and the ability to strategically think. Members of the pack can line up in a line, in a column, from the flanks. Using the desire of herring to stray into a heap, carnivorous dolphins from different sides condense this fish ball, and then start hammering it with its tail, stunning the fish. When the production pops up, a feast begins. Orca can "go out" on land, slipping on the belly along the beach or an ice floe to grab resting seals and seals. If the whales see that there are penguins or pinnipeds on a small iceberg, they simply "shake" them, hitting the ice floe with their head. Each large family has its preferences in the diet: some hunt herds of herring, and others - for pinnipeds.

A whale-killer attacks a man rarely and only for self-defense. In aquariums, they have established themselves as animals that are easily tamed and with artistic abilities. Now in the oceanariums of the world contains about 60 individuals. In captivity, the whale was first born in 1985 (Florida). Since 1946, killer whales have been protected, but in some countries, for example, in Japan, they continue to hunt for killer whales.