The Dark Side of Killer Whales

When most people think of killer whales, they probably think of Sea World's playful Shamu. More than likely, you probably have not heard or seen the horrific side to these oceanic beasts. When you stop to think about it, haven't you always wondered why killer whales were given such a powerful name. After all, killer whales are orcas or dolphins not whales.

The answer lies in the killer whales feeding habits. A killer whale's diet usually consists of fish, squid, sea lions, and other small to medium size oceanic creatures. But, unknown to some is that they have also been known to have a taste for whales, especially gray whales. The Monterey Bay incidents along the California Coast is probably the most well known area for people witnessing these attacks. The attacks on gray whales usually occur when a mother and her calf are migrating through deep coastal waters. Once the whales are isolated, several orcas launch their attack upon both whales. The whales are continually rammed upon with horrific force, which can eventually lead to severe injuries. The orcas attacks upon the gray whales can last up to several hours. One of the theorized reasons for the long drawn out beating is for teaching purposes. The adult killer whales demonstrate to the younger orcas techniques to help improve their chances for a successful kill. If the orcas are successful with their unrelenting attacks, the mother will eventually be driven away from her calf. Defenseless, the calf will ultimately be killed by the orcas. The killer whales are finally rewarded and take away only the calf's tongue and jaw. Fortunately, not all attacks end so brutally,

Just as a human mother will guard her child from harm, a mother whale will also protect her young. When these attacks are taking place, the will of a true mother shines through. The mother of the gray whale calf puts herself in danger in order to protect her child. She strategically lifts her calf above her body to help provide protection from the killer whales blows. However, the strength of a mother can only last to a certain extent before she grows tired and must eventually let her calf back down into possible danger. But, this is not the only plan the gray whale mother has on her mind. While she tries her best to guard her calf to her side, she is also slowly moving closer to shallower water. If the mother and calf can make it to shallow waters, the killer whales will be unable to make such brutal attacks against the whales. The reason is no momentum. The orcas will have a harder time trying to ram the whales because of the lack of speed and momentum that can be generated in such shallow waters. Finding their efforts futile, the killer whales will eventually back off from attacking the gray whales. The result, a battered mother and calf. If they can survive their injuries. the whales will once again swim through the cold oceanic waters to hopefully find a safer place to call home.

Life can have difficult obstacles to overcome, but if that someone strives to conquer such obstacles, the reward can be unimaginable. Whether on land or in the sea, earth's creatures will eventually find a way to survive.