Orca
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The orca, or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus Orcinus, it is recognizable by its distinct pigmentation; being
Killerwhales jumping
Orcinus citoniensis fossil, an extinct species of the same genus, Museo Capellini in Bologna
Modern orca skeleton, Naturalis, Leiden
An orca leaps out of the water when swimming—a behaviour known as porpoising—in Hood Canal
Orca attacks
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Orcas are large, powerful aquatic apex predators. There have been incidents where orcas were perceived to attack humans in the wild, but such attacks are less common than those by captive orcas. In ca
Orca
…a practice that has been criticized as unethical. Orcas rarely pose a threat to humans, and no fatal attack has been recorded in the wild. However, captive orcas have injured or killed their handlers in marine theme parks. Orcas are often referred to as "killer whales" because ancient sailors saw them hunt larger whales. Since the 1960s, the term…
Point Sur, seen from the north on Highway 1
An orca beaching to capture sea lion on the beach of Valdés Peninsula
Kasatka and her son Nakai posing during a show in 2002
Tilikum, who was involved in 3 deaths, swims in the Dine with Shamu exhibit in Orlando, Florida