Yong reports that most of what we know about white shark/orca encounters doesn’t end well for the sharks. In the wild, male orcas live to an average of 30 years (maximum 50-60 years) and 46 years for females (maximum 80-90 years). Asked in Orcas (killer whales) Killer Whale: Is It Just A Bad Rap? Since orcas are highly intelligent mammals and can easily learn to perform aerobatics, they are captured in many countries for entertainment. Orcas are incredibly popular as they are the most widely distributed of all whales and dolphins, found in every single ocean! They are found in all the oceans around the world. So the carcinogens build up in their blubber. Orcas are an apex predator—they sit at the top of the food web, may eat fish, seals, sea lions, sharks, or whales, and have no natural predators. In all their ferociousness, they've been dubbed wolves of the sea, whale killers, killing demons and fish tigers, to name a few [source: National Geographic, PBS].Their scientific name, Orcinus orca, comes from the mythical Orcus -- the Roman god of death and the underworld, who was also known as a punisher [source: Britannica]. More than half of the world's killer whales are threatened by a group of toxic industrial chemicals that accumulate in their blubber and can be passed on from mother to calf. well if your nice to them it will be nice to you back. They’ve proven that they can easily disarm a great white in an attack. Related Questions. Wiki User May 15, 2010 4:03PM. Southern Resident orcas have been classified as endangered since 2005, with a current population of just 75 being the lowest it has been in 30 years. Young killers whales get their first teeth at 2 to 4 months of age. Although Orcas Island wasn’t actually named after these beautiful animals, the orca whale watching is an absolute must do activity when visiting. In fact, they are dolphins. He didn’t tell me that’s why he wanted to visit. Knowing how to visit the islands efficiently can help you enjoy your time there without draining your pocketbook. They're immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring. Orcas (killer whales) Are orcas nice? Whales here will often let boats come very close. Why Killer Whales Attack Sharks Reasons Why Orcas are Called Killer Whales The name ‘killer whale’ is actually a misnomer, because killer whales do not belong to the group, whales. July and August are the warmest months to visit and also the busiest. At least 166 orcas have been taken into captivity from the wild since 1961 (including Pascuala and Morgan). There are more whale watching boats here than any other region since Victoria hosts more tourists than any other place on Vancouver Island. Are they..." | Check out 8 answers, plus see 814 reviews, articles, and 590 photos of Stubbs Island Whale Watching, ranked No.3 on Tripadvisor among 12 attractions in Vancouver Island. Also, people presume that Orcas are safer in captivity than wild, where they are free from all population. This little corner of the world is one of the best to see orcas as it is home to the Southern Resident Killer Whales, population around 85. All you need to know about orcas. In fact, there are many orcas which have been trained to perform at aquatic theme parks. They are very familiar with their black and white colouring but actually, depending on where they live, have very different appearances, behaviour, ways of communicating and diet! Although toothed whales have teeth, they don't chew their food—they use their teeth for capturing and tearing food.