Great White Sharks and Killer Whale are both top predators at the top of marine food chain . Recently, South African scientists used drones and helicopters to capture the scene of killing the great white shark for the first time.
In the video released by scientists, you can see a great white shark being hunted by three huge killer whales. The big white shark's belly is facing upwards. The killer whales attack in turn, biting the shark's abdomen and constantly swallowing the outflowing liver. After an hour-long "fight", the killer whales killed the great white shark.
Killing great white sharks may be a relatively common phenomenon. There were often shark corpses washed ashore before, and these shark corpses lacked livers. researchers speculated at the time that it might be the cause of the killer whales, because only the killer whales have this ability. The killer whales are the only known marine predator of the great white shark. The shooting of killer whales hunting the great white shark this time is considered a solid evidence.
Researcher Towner said: "History 2 has never been photographed before. There is no drone shooting. This shooting makes us feel awe of the hunting strategies and methods of killing orcas, but we can't help but sympathize with the sharks. It's very unforgettable to see the white shark being hunted and killed by larger predators. "
I believe many people will wonder in their hearts, why do they hunt and kill great white sharks? And the great white shark is also the top predator in the ocean. Why can they be easily hunted by killer whales?
In fact, the killer whales only used one trick to capture one of the fatal weaknesses of the great white shark. 's plan seems cruel, but it is its own advantage for the orca and plays an immeasurable role in the development of the ethnic group.
We can look at it from the following aspects:
, killer whale habits and hunting methods
, the fatal weaknesses of great white sharks?
. The independent learning ability of killer whales
. Will killer whales eat people?
orca
orca 2 orca halberd, is also called orca , it is a large marine mammal of the family odoraceae. The family odorcae includes whale and dolphin .
Killer whales have a very recognizable appearance, with a pitch-black top and a pure white bottom, with a white patch at the back of each eye, the other extending to both sides, and a variable "saddle patch" behind the dorsal fin.
Although the description of a killer whale contains the name "whale", the marine mammal has nothing to do with "whale", it is actually a dolphin. killer whales are the largest animals in the Dolphin family and are one of the only cetaceans known to attack sharks, whales and other large marine animals .
Adult male killer whales usually grow to an average of 6-8 meters and weigh 4-6 tons, while adult female killer whales have an average length of 5-7 meters and a weight of 1.5-3 tons.
Killer whales have a powerful chin with amazing bite force, and their teeth can easily tear all marine prey and withstand the swing and sprinting movements of large preys.
Killer whales are extremely smart, well-organized primates with highly complex social structures, usually composed of family members spanning generations.
The social structure of killer whales is considered to be one of the most stable social structures of all animal species, and it can even rival that of apes and humans.
Killer whales are the large carnivore at the top of the food chain. They have no natural enemies except humans.
"Wolf in the Ocean" - Killer whales grasp the fatal weakness of sharks
Killer whales are distributed widely in the oceans around the world, and killer whales can be found from the polar regions to the equator.
Killer whales are at the top of the food chain and have a very diverse diet. They feed on marine mammals such as fish, penguin and seals, sea lion and even whales, and can even catch seals directly from the ice.
This is some animal residue found by scientists in the stomach of killer whales, including:
- Seabird
- Whale
- Dolphin
- Reptile
- Polar bear
- Polar bear
- Moose
- Shawk
It can be seen that the food of killer whales is very diverse.
Food intake of killer whales may also vary by group. Adult killer whales consume between 2% and 10% of their weight per day.
Little Killer Whale is exceptional. After the little killer whales are weaned at the age of 2, in order to meet the requirements of growth and development, the little killer whales will eat more food than adult killer whales.
Orcas are called "wolf in the ocean", and generally adopt a group hunting strategy led by head whales.
When looking for food, especially large marine mammals, killer whales will develop corresponding strategies based on the hunted prey and use different methods to capture prey.
The scene of the killer whale team fighting to hunt seals on the ice is classic.
kwill discovered seals basking in the ice. The killer whale took turns to surface and gave the seal a death gaze to determine the seal's position and the state of the ice.
Then three killer whales headed in unison, rushing towards the ice side by side, setting off a huge wave, overturning the ice surface and rushing the seal into the sea, and then having a full meal. It is said that when the orca group cooperates, it can even overturn small icebergs.
When hunting dolphins, killer whales will adopt the "wheel battle" strategy and take turns chasing to save body mass, while dolphins slowly run out of energy and are exhausted and unable to struggle.
Once the dolphin can no longer struggle, the killer whales will rush up collectively and attack in turn. even throws the dolphin into the air before killing it so it can't move.
was originally born with the same root, why not worry about each other? Although killer whales are a type of dolphin, they hunt other species of dolphins for food.
Killer whales hunt large whales, such as blue whales. killer whales usually target blue whales and their sons, and their primary target is the little blue whale. While hunting, a group of killer whales first tried to distract the whale, isolated an unarmed little whale from her mother, and finally beat the little blue whale together for a full meal.
Sharks are the dominant of the ocean and the most brutal top predator in the underwater world. However, such a "ocean overlord" has a fatal weakness, and it is not only humans that only smart killer whales make full use of this fatal weakness.
When a shark turns over, it will struggle to turn over. At this time, the shark's brain will secrete a large amount of neurotransmitter serotonin. As the serotonin concentration increases, the shark will enter a "dormant" state, remain motionless, and lose consciousness.
is in this position, the shark has no defense ability, and will only recover its consciousness after it flips over again.
The smart killer whales have grasped this fatal weakness of the shark in their long-term evolution.
When hunting sharks, one group of killer whales may first try to distract the shark, while another group of killer whales sneakily overturn it from behind or below the shark, turning it upside down. Once the shark is turned over, it will lose consciousness and let the killer whales slaughter.
This not only minimizes the chance of killer whales being injured, but also maximizes the chance of success.
This weakness of sharks is not useless. During mating, the male shark will bite the female shark's body fins and deliberately turn the female shark over, causing the female shark to lose consciousness in order to complete the mating smoothly.
Who is the best predator for killer whales or great white sharks?
Speaking of the battle between killer whales and great white sharks, killer whales are usually winners. There are three reasons for this:
- First of all, In terms of size and speed, killer whales can grow twice as much as that of great white sharks, 100% faster than the big white sharks in a short period of time, allowing them to be surprised and quickly reach their prey before they escape, allowing the killer whales to surprise the prey and escape potential attacks before the big white sharks react appropriately.
- followed by , killer whales are known for their excellent echolocation capabilities, which enables them to detect the size, direction, speed, density and movement of various objects in the ocean. Because echolocation relies on sound, killer whales can use this feeling to find food and navigate the ocean in areas without light. The echolocation ability of killer whales is much greater than the ability of sharks to detect electrical impulses, which gives killer whales an advantage in early tracking.
- , killer whales can learn independently, and discover and exploit the weaknesses of sharks, and then assist in the team-oriented hunting strategy.
Although killer whales are top predators, compared to great white sharks, killer whales have a shortcoming that prevents them from fully controlling the ocean, that is, the depth of diving and breathing.
This severely restricts killer whales from hunting deep-dives, and many shark species live in deep areas under the control of the killer whales. For example, great white sharks can reach a depth of about 12,000 meters, which is more than ten times the depth that a killer whale can reach.
So, we cannot deny that the great white shark is still the most powerful and fierce marine predator in the ocean except for killer whales.
Killer whales IQ is beyond your imagination
The complexity of the social structure of the killer whales can be compared with elephants and humans.
Kill whales have extremely close family bonds. In a group of killer whales, up to four generations live together. The group can be composed of children, their parents, grandparents and friends. They rarely separate except for finding food or companions.
When a member of the clan successfully kills his prey, it will take the initiative to share food with other family members and friends, and when a member of the clan is in danger, other family members will also take the initiative to help.
The close social structure of these marine mammals makes them one of the most successful hunters around.
Communication is indispensable among members of the killer whale tribe. The way they communicate is mainly accomplished by using body gestures, such as touching, jumping out of the water, sprinting and swinging their tails. The combination of language and body communication allows these marine mammals to show a wide range of interests, desires and needs from each other.
Orca whales are very smart and have the ability to learn independently, which is why orca whales can become one of the few non-human animals that can recognize themselves in the mirror.
As an extremely smart species, killer whales can accomplish many things that animals cannot do. It is precisely because of this that from the middle of this century, the killer whales have become the star of the aquarium.
How high is the IQ of a killer whale?
Studies have shown that the intelligence of a killer whales is equivalent to that of a human at the age of fifteen or sixteen. You should know that humans are the most intelligent creatures in the world. Even a teenager at the age of fifteen or sixteen has very high intelligence.
First of all, they have a cognition of humans. Knowing that humans are the most powerful animals and cannot attack humans, , and this cognition will be passed down from generation to generation among the killer whales.
The reason why killer whales do not attack humans is not because they have never seen humans. Someone has done experiments. Whether it is monkeys, pigs, or sheep, these things that killer whales have never seen can still attack, and only humans will not be attacked.
MgPhotos of the brain of the killer whale
Researchers used MRI imaging technology to obtain pictures of the brain structure of the killer whale. The brain anatomy of killer whales is surprisingly similar to that of human brain.
also has highly folded cerebral cortex gyrus, brain regions with highly similar morphology and location. What is important is that they have important brain regions that control cognition and emotions and are very developed. There are also the famous hippocampus , the developed thalamus , etc., which support them to have good IQ and emotions.
reproduction and lifespan of killer whales, and killer whales also have "menopausal"
In terms of breeding, the average pregnancy period of female killer whales (the time between fertilization and delivery) usually lasts 15 to 18 months (average is about 17 months).
After birth, the orca will be breastfeeded by the mother and fed a thick fatty milk. The young whale will obtain this milk by breastfeeding from the mother's nipples. Fat milk possesses all the nutrients that young whales need to develop into healthy young dolphins in the early stages of life.
Once a certain developmental level is reached within the territory, the young whales may begin to look for food with members of other ethnic groups, or feed food by their parents (such as seals or sea lions).
A few years later, the child will eventually grow into a young adult and begin to breed their own offspring.
Male and female killer whales mature around the age of 15 and usually start breeding around the age of 19-21. After reaching sexual maturity and becoming pregnant, female killer whales usually breed every 3-5 years until they reach menopause for 40 years or are no longer able to reproduce.
In rare cases, these marine mammals may give birth to twins, but this is very rare.
In terms of lifespan, the average lifespan of wild killer whales is 50 to 80 years, and female whales tend to live longer than male whales.
However, the average lifespan of killer whales living in sea rimage is less than 30 years old.
Are killer whales dangerous to humans?
Killer whales are stars of the sea rimage and are considered affable animal.
Unlike sharks, killer whales usually do not attack humans unless they feel threatened, and in known cases humans have never been eaten by killer whales, and there are reports of killer whales saving people.
1973, Madagascar A 22-year-old girl's boat was overturned by the surging waves. It was far from the shore at that time. The shark smelled blood began to attack the girl. As a result, a pair of killer whales appeared and drove the sharks away to escort the girl to the shore.
Although it is known that killer whales will not deliberately seek or harm humans, they occasionally attack their trainers when they feel threatened or emotionally unstable, So far, there is only one time in reports from the trainer drowned by the killer whales underwater for too long, this incident is called the "Tiricum Incident".
In 1983, a whaling ship discovered a family of three in the waters of Iceland . The whalers successfully captured the little orca and brutally killed two other larger orcas. After the fishing boat returned to land, it sold the little killer whales to an aquarium in Iceland. The aquarium gave the little killer whales a name "Tiricum". From then on, Tirium began its revenge plan.
1991, during a killer, Kelti, accidentally fell into Tiricum's pool during a killer whale performance and swam to the shore. Tiricum and his two companions caught up with Kelti and took turns pushing Kelti into the water many times, and Kelti died of drowning.
Because of this incident, the killer whale is also called " killer whale ". Tiricomb was also permanently imprisoned because of this incident and eventually regained his freedom 33 years later.
In fact, killing people only appears in captivity sites like the sea rimage. There are no reports of killing people in the wild.
There are several theories about why killer whales are not aggressive to humans:
usually gives the statement that we are not like their typical food and/or we don't taste like anything they are used to or want to eat.
Another possible explanation is that the killer whales are smart and communicate with each other, so that members of the tribe know that humans are not on the menu and should not be hunted.
Although this theory seems far-fetched, has evidence of how complex and developed the culture of the orca whales is.Together, they hunt, educate and teach each other, communicate through vocal and body language, and build strong connections with other members of the ethnic group.
Some people have observed that the killer whales hold so-called rituals when greeting other members or attending social activities. The cultural behavior of these primates has led biologists to speculate that this hierarchy can allow killer whales to share and inherit among the tribes what they can hunt and eat.
Finally, don’t mistake kindness for weakness
Although there are few records of killer whales harming humans in the ocean, it does not mean that they can be regarded as friendly and safe animals. After all, killer whales are awesome top hunters who can hunt great white sharks.
That’s all about killer whales. I hope it will be helpful for everyone to get to know killer whales.
