Killer whales in the waters off Spildra, Norway
© Alex Mustard/Minden Picture
What are these predators doing?. World Wildlife Day
Today is World Wildlife Day and there is perhaps no better occasion to brush up on your killer whale—also known as an orca whale—knowledge. Killer whales are apex predators, which means they are at the top of the food chain. Orcas exhibit unmatched hunting skills, but there have not been any documented cases of orcas in the wild killing humans. Their diet usually includes a smorgasbord of sea creatures, such as fish, penguins, and even sharks and whales. Did you know that the name ‘killer whale’ is a misnomer? Killer whales are not actually whales but dolphins. It is believed they were nicknamed ‘killer whale’ by Spanish sailors who saw them hunting whales.
Related Images
Young humpback whale giving its mother a hug off the coast of Tonga
Humpback whales off the coast of Massachusetts
Galápagos sea lion off the shore of Fernandina Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Sperm whale mother and albino baby swimming off the coast of Portugal
Long-beaked common dolphin pod and diving Cape gannets hunting Pacific sardines off the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Giant manta ray and a photographer off the Ningaloo Coast, Australia
Emperor penguins in the Ross Sea, Antarctica
Bing Today Images
A fin whale in the waters off the Azores
Mar 03, 2019
Cougar in the Andes of northwestern Argentina
Mar 03, 2018
