Random Orcas Are Biggest Jerks In Entire Ocean (15 items)

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  (#12) One Native American Legend Portrays Orcas As Vengeful Predators

  While some native cultures paint orcas as healing spirits, at least one legend portrays the whales as far more vengeful. The legend follows Natcitlaneh, a man with the power to bring his wood carvings to life. After his carving of an orca is animated, the two search for adventure on the high seas. There, they find Natcitlaneh's brother-in-law, a man who had punished Natcitlaneh in the past. The whale destroys his brother-in-law's canoe, leaving him in a nameless grave beneath the waves. Natcitlaneh banned the orca from ever hurting another person again, and the Tlingit tribe largely believe this is the reason that orcas rarely attack people in the ocean.
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  (#10) They Enjoy The Privileges Of Being Apex Predators

  Orcas have been known to pick fights with blue whales for no reason besides sheer thrill. While they don't intend to eat the whale, they apparently find amusement in antagonizing other, larger marine mammals.
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  (#3) One Whale Was Responsible For Three Human Casualties

  In 2013, the documentary Blackfish premiered and permanently altered the public's perception of captive orcas. For decades, the orcas of SeaWorld were the primary draw for the zoo/amusement park hybrid. Unfortunately, the prison-like nature of the orcas' captivity led to a total breakdown for one of their star orcas, Tilikum.

  Tilikum was the subject of the documentary and made national news after killing one of his trainers. Tilikum was responsible for three fatalities in his lifetime. The first was an employee at a now-defunct marine park known as Sealand, a place where Tilikum was kept in appalling conditions. He was eventually sold to SeaWorld to play the role of Shamu, and it was there that he claimed his next two victims. One was Dawn Brancheau, a star orca trainer at the park. Captivity-induced stress is believed to be the cause of Tilikum's aggressive behavior, and SeaWorld has since put an end to their orca breeding program. 
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  (#11) They Can Travel Up To 35 Miles Per Hour

  Because of orcas' size and strength, their species is one of the fastest group of marine mammals on Earth. They can travel up to 35 miles per hour, and they use this speed to tire out larger animals like blue whales. Orcas also rush pods of dolphins, surrounding them on all sides and flipping them out of the water to demobilize them.

  A whale biologist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada explains that approaching an animal with an open mouth would create tremendous drag on an orca's lower jaw, especially with the speeds at which orcas travel. That's why the rush-and-ram method is a more efficient and effective option.
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  (#6) They Hunt In Packs

  Orcas are incredibly skilled hunters who use different tactics for different prey. They often use their teeth, tails, and brute strength to attack their prey, and each individual in a pod of orcas helps in the hunt with their own special methods. The matriarch, usually the largest, will deliver the most powerful blows to the victim, while the smaller whales block off possible escape routes. 
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  (#13) They're Camouflaged To Sneak Up On Prey More Easily

  The coloring of orcas effectively camouflages them from prey; their light undersides and dark tops makes them less likely to be spotted in water. The Center for Whale Research compares their coloring to military airplanes. The black and white colors are also broken up in such a way that they look smaller and considerably less intimidating to prey.

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