Wild Orca Imitates Outboard Motor

This one comes to us straight from the bizarre animal behaviour department. Thanks to Fhernando for sending me the link.

Luna was a little wild orca-boy who lost his family and, after that, started to look for contact with people which, in my opinion, is the best example of orca’s demand for social intercourse. Just like people. It’s a very important demand for people. And it seems the same important for orcas. Luna left alone, he was boring, and started to contact with people. It’s interesting how they understand that people (and maybe some other animals, like dogs) are the same intelligent beings. Amazing is that even little orca-kids understand and distinguish people from other beings. Maybe did Luna learned something from his family, adult orcas? Maybe do they have a sort of lessons like in a school where adult orcas teach the kids not only rules of survival and hunting, but some basic knowledge about the world in general? For example, maybe they teach their kids that people are intelligent beings like orca and it’s not good to attack people and consider them as prey. Maybe, it explains that there are no any records of attacking people by orcas in the wild. Lucky for us :))

Orca Vs. Fisherman

There should be no surprise who wins this battle!

Video contains some Not Safe For Work language, cover your ears kids!

Killer Whales Are Not Entertainment Whales

A SeaWorld Orlando animal trainer was killed this afternoon during an accident at SeaWorld’s Shamu Stadium, park and law enforcement officials said.

Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old with extensive training experience, drowned following a popular Dine with Shamu show as at least two dozen tourists looked on from above a whale tank and from an underwater viewing area.

SeaWorld executive Chuck Tompkins confirmed what witnesses saw, that Brancheau was pulled into the water by Tilikum, a 12,000-pound male killer whale.

Brancheau was finishing up a session with Tilikum, the largest whale in SeaWorld’s collection and its only mature male, following a Dine with Shamu show.

via LA Times

Well in the real world, Shamu dines on you. I’m sorry, but I have no sympathy for this kind of stuff. When I was younger I wanted to be a marine biologist, and even then I knew it was wrong to keep whales and dolphins in captivity. It’s a killer whale, even if you feed it everyday- and it never hungers- it’s nature is to hunt and kill.

Shamu Versus Pelican: Shamu Wins!

I guess this is why people call them killer whales…

“I was at SeaWorld San Diego on the 20th Feb 08 and attended the Shamu Killer Whale “Believe” show. During this show, Shamu lived up to his Killer Whale name.
During the show a Pelican landed on the water. This proved to be a big mistake for this unfortunate bird. To capture this video I guess I was in the right place at the right time…I wish I could say the same for the Pelican.”

Birds 3 Fish 1

Killer Whales Join the Learning Circle

What do killer whales and chimpanzees have in common? Based on physical appearance, basically nothing. Mentally however, these two creatures do have something in common, they are both highly intelligent and are both among a very select group of animals who are capable of cultural learning. In a recent study at Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, an inventive killer whale devised a brand new way to catch birds, and passed the strategy on to the other killer whales. They would regurgitate fish to the surface of the water and wait for gulls to come feed. As soon as the gulls appeared the killer whale would lunge forward a inhale the gull.

Similar cultural learning has been seen in dolphins, but the evidence from the killer whales is much more conclusive because the process was observed from start to finish. Somehow I don’t see this killer whale trick going over too will with the children visiting Marineland.

Story via NewScientist.com