Orca Whales

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are very young from illness, accidents, or even predators such as large sharks (Carwardine, 4). If the calf survives its early years, it will remain in the pod for the rest of its life. Each pod has �its own special language, or dialect� in the believed and complex way of communication among other killer whales, and all members of the pod are similar in appearance, even though no two orca�s look exactly alike (Carwardine, 4). Another distinguishing feature of killer whales is their Dorsal fin. Male killer whales have a �huge dorsal fin that can grow up to six feet, females, however, have a much smaller and more curved dorsal fin� (Carwardine, 4). In comparison to their large fins, adult orcas whales can �weigh from three to eleven tons,� and male orcas grow to an �average length of twenty-three to twenty-seven feet but can reach lengths of up to thirty-two feet, and female orcas average between twenty and twenty-two feet� (Killer Whale, National Parks Conservation Association). Pods ...

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most interesting methods of hunting prey is used by killer whales off the coast of Argentina on the Punta Norte beaches, where several pods have learned how to catch young elephant seals and sea lion pups in the shallows (Carwardine, 28). The whales survey the beaches for their target and once they have found a victim easy enough for them to catch, they rush toward the beach so fast that they surge out of the water and onto the beach, leaving their prey no time to escape (Carwardine, 29). �Most whales and dolphins are in serious trouble when they �strand� like this, but the killer whales of Punta Norte grab their prey and then wriggle back into the sea� (Carwardine, 30). Other methods of ...

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