What are the natural enemies of orcas?

Orcas are the largest large toothed whales in the dolphin family, also known as orcas and killer whales. The largest adult male is 9.75m long and weighs 9524 kg. There are obvious sexual dimorphism in body size, flipper size and dorsal fin height. Distributed in almost all marine areas, let's take a look at what natural enemies orcas have.

What are the natural enemies of orcas?

Orcas are at the top of the food chain and have no natural predators. Orcas are the natural enemies of penguins, dolphins, seals and other animals, and sometimes attack other whales, even great white sharks, which can be called overlords at sea. Moreover, the orca is a highly social animal, with some groups consisting of the most stable families in the animal kingdom, and some complex social behaviors, hunting skills and voice communication are considered to be evidence that orcas have their own culture.

Where are orcas distributed?

Orcas live mainly in polar and temperate waters, which are widely distributed in the sea areas of Japan and Iceland all over the world. There seems to be no obvious restriction on water temperature, depth and other factors. There is a fairly high habitat density at high latitudes, especially in areas where prey is plentiful. Their movement is generally related to tracking prey or increasing predation, and it is not clear where and how far they will migrate during fish spawning season and seal production. Some orcas stay in Antarctic waters all the year round, while orcas in the Arctic rarely get close to the ice floe.

What kind of food do orcas eat?

Orcas feed on fish, other cetaceans, flippers, sea otters, birds, reptiles and cephalopods. Of the 362 stomachs of orcas collected in Antarctica, 217 contain fish, 75 contain remnants of minke whales, 35 contain fins and 35 contain cephalopods. Because orcas have a well-developed brain and powerful bodies, these highly intelligent animals are able to chase and kill many of the top predators in the ocean. Some orca family members list at least nine kinds of shark delicacies on the menu, including great white sharks and mackerel sharks that frighten many animals.