orcas
Dolphins' largest cousins
Orcas are large black-and-white marine mammals, the largest members of the dolphin family.
Also called killer whales, they hunt in coordinated pods and prey on fish, seals, and even other whales.
Orcas are found in oceans worldwide, from polar waters to tropical seas: We spotted a pod of orcas off the coast.
Apex ocean predator
- apex predatorUnpreyed-upon dominant hunter
- dorsal finFish's rear stabilizer
- blowholeWhale's breathing aperture
- echolocationNavigation through reflected sound
cetacean · toothed whale · blubber · eyepatch · flukes · breaching · melon · pectoral fins
Seed case or cetacean group
- matriarchFemale family leader
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
- dialectRegional language variety
family group · social bonds · generations · grandmother · offspring · synchrony · kinship · nursing
At risk of extinction
- pollutionEnvironmental harm from waste
- PCBsBanned synthetic toxins
- captivityState of being confined
- SeaWorldMarine mammal theme park
whale watching · Lolita · rescue · rehabilitation · advocacy · protected species · marine sanctuary · extinction
Coastal American region, northward
- NorwayScandinavian coastal kingdom
- PatagoniaSouth America's southern tip
- AntarcticaSouthernmost continental landmass
- IcelandNordic island republic
New Zealand · coastal waters · Puget Sound · fjord · Arctic · Southern Ocean · migration · range
killer whale
Apex ocean predator
- apex predatorUnpreyed-upon dominant hunter
- dorsal finFish's rear stabilizer
- blowholeWhale's breathing aperture
echolocation · cetacean · toothed whale · blubber · eyepatch · flukes · breaching · melon · pectoral fins · marine mammal
pod
Seed case or cetacean group
- matriarchFemale family leader
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
family group · dialect · social bonds · generations · grandmother · offspring · synchrony · kinship · nursing · alloparenting
endangered
At risk of extinction
SeaWorld · whale watching · Lolita · rescue · rehabilitation · advocacy · protected species · marine sanctuary · extinction · NOAA
Pacific Northwest
Coastal American region, northward
- NorwayScandinavian coastal kingdom
- PatagoniaSouth America's southern tip
- AntarcticaSouthernmost continental landmass
Iceland · New Zealand · coastal waters · Puget Sound · fjord · Arctic · Southern Ocean · migration · range · territory
salmon
Pink-fleshed migratory fish
- sealAuthentication stamp or mark
- sea lionEared flippered marine mammal
- herringSmall silvery Atlantic fish
beaching · stunning · prey · ambush · teamwork · pursuit · stingray · shark · porpoise · penguin
- BC CoastVancouver Island, Victoria, Nanaimo, Duncan, Sidney
- Coastal AlaskaSitka, Juneau, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, fjords
- open oceanopen ocean, twilight zone, midnight zone, surface water, water column
- whale conservationwhaling ban, moratorium, marine sanctuaries, protected species, whale watching
- mammalsbears, bats, sheep, cats, anteater
- ocean lifeocean, sea, sea creatures, shark, sea life
orcasbaleen whales
Bristle-mouthed marine mammals
blue whales · humpback whales · right whales · gray whales · great whales
orcasmanatees
Large aquatic grazing mammals
dugongs · sea cows · gentle giants · humpback whales · dolphins
- orca whalesLarge black-white marine mammals
- orca podsKiller whale family groups
- orca showTrained cetacean performance