Orcas in the Oceans

Orcas are also known as killer whales, but they are actually the largest members of the dolphin family. They live all over the planet and are found in all oceans where they are recognized by their distinctive black-and-white coloration. Orcas are large and fast, adults can weigh up to 15,000 pounds and swim at up to 30mph. Females can live for more than 80 years. Their diet is quite varied and they mainly eat fish, sea lions, and seals. However, they also tackle larger prey such as dolphins, porpoises, sharks, and other whales. Other orcas eat octopuses, squid, and sea birds. There is some evidence that orcas like to specialize in one type of prey and once they have settled on that source of food, they don’t like to deviate from it. You could argue that orcas are picky eaters!

Sociable Killer Whales

Orcas are very sociable animals and live in pods which are called matrilines. This means that they are made up of a female and her descendants. Male offspring stay with the pod all their lives but the females can spend time away from the pod when they are having calves of their own. Often, pods will have their own distinctive calls so that they can communicate with each other.   Females do not give birth very frequently. They have a calf every three to 10 years with a gestation period of 17 months. Often, the whole pod will help with rearing the young. Orcas also live for a long time! Many live for more than 60 years and it is suspected that some live for over 80 years. There is still a lot that we do not know about orcas – and that includes exactly how many are living in our oceans. We also don’t know exactly what this golden retriever thinks of them but he seems pretty fascinated!

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title: “This Golden Retriever Doesn T Know What To Make Of Gigantic Killer Whale Pod " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-24” author: “Priscilla Williams”

Their proximity to this orca pod is incredible. If the golden retriever decided to reach out with a paw, it could probably touch the killer whale. The boat keeps moving along to the left as you see more and more orcas emerge with their dorsal fins out of the water. They’re beautifully graceful in the water. Their dorsal fins serve to keep them balanced as their flukes (or tails) do most of the work to keep them moving forward. As they move their flukes up and down, you see them bobbing up and down, in and out of the water. They swim alongside the boat throughout this video. Some of them are a little further away and some of them are exceptionally close. You can count at least eight or nine orcas, all swimming together. Just as the video starts coming to an end, you get to witness something awe-inspiring. Right in the center of the screen, an orca breaches. The dog looks over, probably thinking “wow” the way anyone would at this sight. The whale comes out of the water with its head pointed to the sky and its pectoral fins completely out of the water. Just as it makes its way about halfway up out of the water, it falls back, leaving a splash in its wake. The dog remains focused, taking in these wondrous creatures in the water. Golden retrievers are wonderfully intelligent and generally good with other animals. Although they can be protective, they’re usually very open to meeting strangers. Orcas, also known as killer whales, are also highly intelligent creatures. They are social animals, just like golden retrievers. This pod is an example of their sociability — they prefer traveling together like this. This makes it easier for them to hunt and protect their young. It makes sense that this encounter was so peaceful. Although the golden could very well have started barking, there seemed to be an unspoken understanding between all creatures present that they are all moving in peace. If anything, the dog didn’t sense a threat. It just remained mesmerized throughout the clip.

Up Next, Watch More Clips of These Two Social Animals:

This Swimming Golden Retriever is Unstoppable! Golden Retriever Pillow Thief Gets Caught Red-Handed Watch This Orca Do a Free Willy Impression With a Heroic Deep Sea Jump