Killer whale (Orcinus orca)

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• Massive killer whale pod sighted

  A massive pod of up to 50 killer whales has been filmed for the first time off the coast of Scotland by a BBC crew.

About the Killer whale

The Killer Whale or Orca (Orcinus orca), or less commonly, Blackfish, is the largest species of the dolphin family, though they are commonly mistaken as a species of whale. They are called killer whales often because they sometimes hunt whales for food. They are found in all the world's oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to warm, tropical seas. Some killer whale populations feed mostly on fish while others hunt sharks, marine mammals, including sea lions, seals, walruses and even large whales and Great white sharks.

There are up to five distinct killer whale types distinguished by geographical range, preferred prey items and physical appearance. Some of these may be separate races, subspecies or even species. Killer whales are highly social; some populations are composed of matrilineal family groups, which are the most stable of any animal species. The sophisticated social behavior, hunting techniques, and vocal behavior of killer whales have been described as manifestations of culture.

Although the killer whale is not considered to be an internationally endangered species, some local populations are considered threatened or endangered due to depletion of prey species, habitat loss, pollution by PCBs, capture for marine mammal parks, and conflicts with fisheries. In late 2007, the killer whales known as the "southern resident killer whales" were placed on the U.S. Endangered Species list. Due to the likelihood that not all killer whales belong to a single species, the IUCN currently asseses the conservation status of the killer whale as data deficient.

Wild killer whales are usually not considered a threat to humans. There have, however, been isolated reports of captive killer whales attacking , and in at least one instance, killing their handlers at marine theme parks.

Read more at Wikipedia