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Orca

Orca

“The killer whale or orca (Orcinus orca) is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. Killer whales have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as seals and dolphins.”

– Wikipedia

orca breaching
orca breaching

The orca, sometimes known as a killer whale, is a graceful creature related to the dolphin family. It has smooth skin with an elegant black-and-white pattern.  Because orcas are mammals, like us, they need to breathe oxygen. They do this with a hole in the top of their heads called a blowhole. It is in that particular spot so that they just need to stick their head out of the water a bit, then dive back down into the sea. This is the same with whales and dolphins. Sometimes when orcas surface, they jump out of the water, called breaching. Some say that this is a form of communicating over long distances.

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