Which part of "killer" in the name killer whale don't people grasp?

[CatWoman]

:shrug:

IMHO, Some animals just need to be left the fuck alone

:shrug:

[ZombieHorde]

1. The two "L"s make a "Y" sound, right? nt

[REP]

43. Not in Welsh

[WCGreen]

2. But they are so cuddlie....

[CatWoman]

4. they are cute, aren't they?

:)

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. black and white like a panda... very cute.

[npk]

11. So are bears, but I wouldn't want to fall asleep in ones arms

If you know what I mean.

[madaboutharry]

3. Why don't you tell us what you really think!

:loveya:

[CatWoman]

5. ROFL!!!!

I'm watching Countdown, and saw where this whale has killed before.

The man who sold him to Sea World said it was his understanding that it would just be used for display and breeding.

:hi:

[npk]

6. Because hollywood tells us that they are perfectly safe to swim with

You would have thought the first two people this whale killed would have been a clue, but...apparently not.

[CatWoman]

12. did you see the movie, Orca?

the killer whale in that picture was one bad ass!!

Hell - I'm scared of jelly fish!! I could never see myself getting into a tank with one of these suckers!! :scared:

[Cetacea]

14. Great movie, that. Much better than the 'willy'.

[xchrom]

7. What part of 'BE' in human being don't people understand!11 nt

[CatWoman]

13. if you're not a human being

you must be a human doing

:)

[Cetacea]

9. Excepting this Orca, they are not "human killers". They are large dolphins.

And every bit as gentle. The name for Orcas was originally "Whale Killer" as some in certain pods they do from time to time take sick dolphins and whales.

We do need to leave them alone, as in not killing them and other dolphins, and whales as well. (imo)

[CatWoman]

15. I didn't know that

thanks!! :)

[Cetacea]

18. You are very welcome!

:)

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. They've certainly made victim whales extinct.

[TexasObserver]

16. Any large predator confined to a small space can go crazy.

Animals grow older, and just like us, they degrade over time. They might get more short tempered. They might simply grow weary of being confined. A large animal that cannot open up and run full throttle is an animal abused. They need room to move around, and the freedom to do it.

[TheCowsCameHome]

21. Keep Limbaugh in his studio and we'll know for sure.

[Lyric]

17. They aren't really killers. At least, not of humans.

I don't think there's ever been a documented case of an orca attacking a human in the wild. They do kill seals, salmon, and other ocean animals of course. Still, the "killer whale" thing is a misnomer.

Besides, I don't really believe that the whale meant any harm in ANY of the deaths ascribed to him. The first sounds like a case of "didn't realize humans were so vulnerable when played with to roughly", the second was a case of a guy dying of hypothermia--not whale attack injury--and the third case, while still under investigation, seems more like a whale playfully grabbing what he thought was a toy (her ponytail), not realizing that it would hurt the trainer.

Honestly, they're huge animals, they don't know their own strength in proportion to ours, and they're extremely intelligent--but they're not malicious. I do agree that we need to leave them the hell alone, but not because they're "dangerous"--just because they're smart, sensitive creatures who deserve better than a life of perpetual confinement, boredom, and (eventually) insanity.

[CatWoman]

20. I hope they don't destroy him

:(

[Lyric]

25. Me too. I was telling Rhythm last night that my biggest fear

is that they'll decide he's too much of a liability (in terms of profits) and kill him. If it were my choice, I'd feed him up good to help him build blubber and then release him into the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary where he'd be no danger to humans. Then again, even the "sanctuary" is not always safe. I'd be worried that the Japanese might decide he'd look good on a sushi platter. Ugh.

[Shell Beau]

50. I wish there was something that could really be done

about the Japanese and their whale poaching.

[Cetacea]

23. Agreed with one caveat.

I believe that they know their own strength relative to humans. Otherwise there would have been a lot more incidences. I do think you are right about the pony tail, that he didn't know it was attached to her( edit: or forgot). You should contact Sea World with that idea. The only other explanation I have heard about the hair was from Jack H, who thought it got "in his eyes" .
Your idea is much more feasible!

[Lyric]

26. It was something Rhythm (my partner) and I were discussing last night.

I think that maybe he'd been given a rope-toy or a toy with some kind of braided rope on it in the past, and that he confused her dark-blonde ponytail with a toy as a result. I've seen orca toys made with rope before--usually a couple of floaty balls attached to each other with a rope--so it's not an unreasonable idea. It's a shame that SeaWorld doesn't seem to have considered it yet.

[Cetacea]

30. If you'd like I'll send it along to them.

It's quite possible that they have thought of it but it wouldn't hurt to offer it.

[Lyric]

32. Feel free. Anything to make them think twice about potentially killing him.

He doesn't deserve it, especially after all he's been through.

[Cetacea]

51. For you.

This was published today (Saturday):

Whale may have seen ponytail as toy
Orca shows to start up again today at SeaWorld

By John Wilkens, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.

SeaWorld will resume its killer-whale shows today, but no trainers will enter the pool until park officials gain a better understanding of what prompted an orca in Florida to drag a veteran handler to her death this week.

A theory emerged yesterday among some orca experts: The whale mistook Dawn Brancheau’s ponytail for a toy and grabbed it.

“We will make improvements and changes, and we will move forward,” SeaWorld President Jim Atchison said during a news conference at the Orlando facility as killer whales swam in a tank behind him.

Brancheau, 40, was killed Wednesday by Tilikum, a 22-foot, 12,000-pound male who was involved in two earlier deaths and is the largest and most financially valuable orca in captivity.

The trainer was on a submerged shelf, giving the whale pats and hugs after a noontime show, when her ponytail drifted into the water. The orca grabbed the hair and pulled Brancheau under..."


http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/27/whale-may-have-seen-ponytail-as-toy/

[Lyric]

28. Oh, and the thing about knowing their strength--

I was mostly talking about the younger ones. When this whale was much younger, he and a couple of other juveniles killed a trainer by playfully holding him underwater and nudging him around too much. I think that perhaps they were still too young to realize that humans aren't like orcas, and can't tolerate horseplay underwater for very long.

[Jamastiene]

48. [phone]

[northernlights]

49. bingo

"who deserve better than a life of perpetual confinement, boredom, and (eventually) insanity."

And I'd add, forced to provide entertainment day in and day out, regardless of what *they* want or need to do.

[WillyT]

19. I Guess It Should Have Been, "Really Pissed-Off And Angry, Killer Whale"

Yep... that would have done it...

Good thing there are no Killer Lions, and Tigers, and Bears... Oh My !!!



:shrug:

:hi:

:loveya:

[CatWoman]

22. and your little dog, too!!!

:hi:

:rofl:

[bobbolink]

24. "Killer whale" is a misnomer, mistakenly applied.

The name was used, erroneously, because Orca *do* hunt in packs, like wolves, and can overtake and kill a whale.

The name "killer whale" resulted in the wrongful deaths of many of these majestic animals, because humans, being what they are, assumed that "killer", meant they killed humans.

That is NOT the case.

This is in the news so much because it *IS* an anomaly.

Now, another misnomer, which people still use, is "Anasazi", applied to the ancestors of the Pueblo People. It was also very unfortunate the term was used, because it is Dine' (Navajo), and means "Ancient Enemy", which is only from the Dine' point of view, and had NOTHING to do with any behavior on the part of the Ancestral Pueblo people.

Yes, scientists can make HUGE naming mistakes.

[CatWoman]

27. I've been schooled about this upthread

however I thank you for your wonderful contribution.

Knowledge is power :)

:hi:

[bobbolink]

29. i...........

i............type.............s.......l.......o........w......l........y


By the time I get it posted, thirty-eleven other people have had their say.

:silly:

[CatWoman]

31. I still appreciate it

:)

[bobbolink]

35. OK, so did you know.... you can tell the sex of an Orca by the dorsal fin?

And identify individuals by their saddle patch?

Have you heard enough yet? :hi:

[CatWoman]

36. more!!! more!!!

:)

what's the deal with the fins?

[bobbolink]

38. Let me see if I can find a picture....

In the meantime, they travel together in groups called "pods", and are very close to each other socially, and have an indentifiable system of sounds with which they communicate.

[bobbolink]

40. Fun information

Status: Endangered (Canada and United States).
Name:
Killer Whale or Orca. From the Latin phrase Orcinus orca, meaning Greek god of the underworld or describing the species’ rounded, barrel-like body. Other names: blackfish, grampus and killer.

Size & Weight:
Mature females up to 7.9 metres and 3,800 kg. Mature males from 7.5-9.5 metres and 5,600 kg. Calves up to 2.6 metres; 160 kg at birth.

Physical Features:
Striking black colouring with grayish saddle patch and white belly. Conical-shaped head with small beak and 10-13 conical teeth on both sides of upper and lower jaw. Paddle-shaped flippers or pectoral fins, and distinct dorsal fin on its back (curved in females and immature males; straight and up to 2 metres in males). The male’s dorsal fin reaches full height at 12-20 years.

Natural History:
Females give birth every three years starting at age 13. Mating usually takes place in summer, but calves are born year-round. Both females and males mature by age 10. Orcas display strong social bonds, belong to pods. Each pod has its own language, or dialect. Pods’ movements are determined by availability of food. Orca society is matriarchal. Although breeding occurs outside the family, both males and females return to their matriarchal groups.

Diet & Life Span:
Resident Orcas are fish eaters (salmon, cod, herring), 45-135 kg per day. Males generally live into their 30s, females into their 50s (both can live 20-40 years longer). When they die most just disappear below the surface of the water.

Playful Activities:
Breaching. Leap, twist in the air and land on their sides or backs (requiring an exit speed of 40 km/hr). Spyhopping. Rise vertically above the water surface to look around, showing their white bellies up to their pectoral fins. Pec or Fluke Slaps, and Lobtailing. Repeatedly splash the water surface with their pectoral fins or just slap the surface with their tails.

http://www.whaleresearch.com/facts.html

[bobbolink]

41. now let's see if I can post it...

heh....got it posted. I think with the word description of the other post, and this image, you can see the difference.

I think I found one with a saddle patch, too....

[CatWoman]

45. if that's the male on top, his fin looks like an erect penis

:blush:

I was buying blue crabs at the Farmer's Market one day, and was trying to explain to this kid the difference between male and female crabs. That was the only way I could describe the shapes on their bellies.

The kid's mom burst out laughing :)

[bobbolink]

44. This isn't really clear, but will give you an idea...

[Shell Beau]

33. Well to be fair, they aren't actually whales either.

They get the name from killing whales along with many other things. But yes, I do agree. Free them back into the big ocean where their big selves can do what they are supposed to do.


Edit: Well I see that has already been addressed in this thread. They are truly magnificent creatures though. They are brilliant, and the way the hunt is amazing. It can differ. Some hunt alone, and others hunt in groups.I watched a documentary on them once, and I was flabbergasted at their skill and intelligence.

[Historic NY]

34. I'd remind folks he is a serial killer whale.

[CatWoman]

37. you made me flash back to the shark skits on SNL

:rofl:

[Generator]

39. Candy gram?

[CatWoman]

46. HAHAHAHAHAHA

:)

[brettdale]

42. I remember a calvin and hobbes strip

Calvin asks Hobbes if he wants to visit the Zoo, and Hobbes replies "Can we visit a prison afterwards?"

[Cleita]

47. What is it about the human need to ride large animals that can kill them?

Why do we have this urge to mount other species? I admit I'm guilty of it too. As a kid all I wanted to do was ride a pony, a donkey or even the neighbor's Great Dane. It called to me.