orcas
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Orcas Don’t Need Buddies to Kill and Eat Great White Sharks
Researchers studying orcas off the coast of South Africa recently observed one of the whales consuming a great white shark alone, in just two minutes. Since 2017, two orcas in particular have been wreaking havoc on the great whites off South Africa’s Mossel Bay. Dubbed Port and Starboard (cute!), the apex predators have developed a…
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Endangered Orcas in the Pacific Northwest Are Battling a Mysterious Skin Disease
Orcas in the Pacific Northwest are battling some kind of unknown skin disease, new research out this week suggests. The study found photographic evidence that these orcas have been developing more and more mysterious lesions over the years. It’s not clear yet how harmful this trend may be, but it’s the latest potential threat to…
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Two Orcas Near South Africa Are at War With Great White Sharks
Two orcas named Port and Starboard seem to have developed a taste for great white sharks. Since 2017, eight great white sharks have washed ashore in South Africa, with signs of having been attacked by orcas. Seven of the sharks — typically apex predators — were missing their livers, and some didn’t have their hearts…
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The Orca That Carried Around Her Dead Calf for Two Weeks Is Pregnant Again
In 2018, the world’s collective heart broke for Tahlequah, a Southern Resident killer whale in the Pacific Northwest that’s formal name is J35. The mama whale carried around her dead calf for more than two weeks. Now, Tahlequah is pregnant again.