are killer whales called killer?
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Orcas were given the name 'killer whale' by ancient sailors' observations of groups of orcas hunting and preying on larger whale species. They called orcas asesina ballenas, or 'whale killer' – a term that was eventually flipped around to the easier 'killer whale'.
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They might be one of the ocean's most fearsome predators - but did you know there is one creature that great white sharks are terrified of? New studies have shown that the hunters become the hunted when killer whales, known as orcas, are on the scene.
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Orcas are apex predators, at the top of the food chain. No other animals (except for humans) hunt orcas. Killer whales feed on sea birds, squid, octopuses, sea turtles, sharks, rays and fish. They also eat most marine mammals, such as seals and dugongs.
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Reasons an Orca Is a Dolphin. Despite being called killer whales, orcas (Orcinus orca) are actually dolphins. Historically, sailors took to calling these marine mammals whale killers after witnessing them preying on whales and other marine mammals. Over time the name changed.
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According to a NatGeoWild documentary on the world's deadliest ocean predators Orcas live in all oceans of the world including the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern side of Florida. ... The killer whales are more frequently sighted in the Gulf of Mexico.
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These species have very few natural predators. Cannibalism is common and injured sharks are weeded out by each other. Great white sharks and other species that live up north are routinely hunted by killer whales. But the number one predator of large sharks and fish are humans.
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Puget Sound's southern-resident orcas wow Monterey Bay, California, in rare sighting. ... Transient, or Bigg's, killer whales that prey on gray whale calves are the orcas usually seen in the California waters this time of year.
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They may be described as the 'wolves of the sea', but it turns out that the killer whale is more closely related to the cow than the predatory canine. ... The research shows that killer whales and cows share a common ancestor while walruses share one with dogs and manatees evolved from the ancestors of elephants.
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The only sea creature known to attack blue whales is the orca whale (scientific name: Orcinus orca) also known as the “killer whale”. They have been known to work in groups to attack blue whales. However, there are very few reports of orcas actually killing blue whales.
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Killer Whales Great white sharks, to be exact. But the true ruler of the sea is the killer whale. Killer whales are apex predators, which means they have no natural predators. They hunt in packs, much like wolves, which are also at the top of their food chain.
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Killer whales are apex predators, which means they have no natural predators. They hunt in packs, much like wolves, which are also at the top of their food chain. ... The orca won.
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Though the great white is considered the top marine predator, orcas may actually rule the oceans, new observations suggest. ... In October 1997, tourists in a whale-watching boat off the Farallon Islands, near San Francisco, witnessed two killer whales attack a great white shark and consume its liver.
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Killer Whales are found in all of the world's oceans. Their Canadian distribution includes the coastal waters of British Columbia from Haida Gwaii in the north to Vancouver Island. Little is known about the range and distribution of the Northwestern Atlantic/Eastern Arctic Killer Whales.
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Killer whales are found in all oceans. While they are most abundant in colder waters like Antarctica, Norway, and Alaska, they are also found in tropical and subtropical waters. The most well-studied killer whale populations occur in the eastern North Pacific Ocean.
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In drone footage captured on May 18 in Monterey, California, a group of orcas is seen carrying out a coordinated attack on a blue whale. Orcas, also known as killer whales, are known to prey on other marine mammals, including dolphins and seals. ... "They play with [whales] like cats play with their prey.
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So no, a killer whale isn't more vicious, but it can be as dangerous. An attack on a shark is usually rare for killer whales to do, but giving the right circumstances, then yes it is possible for killer whales to attack a shark.
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There are two types of whales: toothed and baleen. Toothed whales, as the name suggests, have teeth, which are used to hunt and eat squid, fish, and seals. Toothed whales include sperm whales, as well as dolphins, porpoises, and orcas, among others.