[Warning: due to the nature of this article, there will be graphic images depicting blood]
When you see the term ‘apex predator’, what comes to mind?
Perhaps the more egoistic, yet accurate, response is ‘me’. Humans are highly skilled predators with no natural threat from any other species and that is largely due to our intelligence and ability to form complex social groups. We may not be physically designed to be the best at killing but we have a unique advantage: we kill differently. We have created sophisticated technology to contain, control, and kill animals, we specifically exploit weak and naïve prey, and we even cooperate with other species (such as dogs) to hunt.
Perhaps it is out of modesty (or mild horror at our species’ innate success in killing), but the first creature to come to mind when I think of apex predators is the majestic orca.
Often referred to as the ‘killer whale’, these cetaceans are clearly not prey; however, this term is a source of misconceptions. Firstly, ‘killer whales’ aren’t even really whales – they are actually dolphins. Furthermore, they are not as ruthlessly violent as the name might suggest and, in fact, there are no confirmed reports of an orca ever preying on or attacking people in their natural habitat – which is surprising when you factor in how poorly humans have treated them. Even the scientific name for this noble beast (Orcinus orca) has strong connotations of murder; the genus name directly translates to ‘of the kingdom of the dead’ and orca is derived from the Latin Orcus (god of the underworld and tormentor of the sinful). A rather harsh name for a species that never hunted us…
That is not to say that orcas do not kill. Orcas are the natural predators of squid, shark, otters, sea lions, penguins, birds, octopi, dolphins, and many other creatures. Their key to success in hunting is two-fold. In part, their success can be attributed to their remarkable design. I have forever been fascinated by the elegant form of the orca; it is an amazingly well-adapted cetacean. Its immensely powerful hypaxial muscles allow it to wield its tail to paralyse prey whilst the streamlined (almost bullet-shaped) body enhances its hydrodynamic movement. But neither these adaptations nor its sharp teeth are what make orcas so lethal.
The killer whale’s weapon of choice is its brain.
Pods of orcas have developed innovative hunting strategies which are passed down through multiple generations and which vary depending on the region and prey. Here are four of their best game plans.
Ambush on the Shore. You can’t blame sea lions in the Atlantic to let their guard down once they finally reach the coast of South America- it’s natural for them to assume that their oceanic predators can’t touch them on land. Unfortunately, this is a severe underestimation of the lengths killer whales will go to in order to get their favourite meal. For many of these careless creatures, the façade of security shatters as orcas charge at the shore and beach themselves in an attempt to snatch up a sea lion with its sharp jaws.
A Crippling Blow. Even one of the most popular predators and the most vicious of its kind, the great white shark, is not immune to it only natural enemy – the orca. But hunting sharks presents a major threat to the orca as, when it comes to self-defence, great whites have a far superior design to the orca’s typical prey. Rows of glistening, razor-sharp serrated teeth can tear even the thickest whale hide. Orcas must level the playing field if they want to hunt sharks: the killer whale wields its heavy tail, raising it high into the air and crashing it down on the shark’s head before flipping the disoriented victim over with its deft flukes. This complex move forces the shark into a state of “tonic immobility”. Now paralysed, the shark cannot protect itself against its predator – making it a more vulnerable, easy prey.
Orca vs Great White
Carousel Feeding. Orcas don’t just pick on creatures their own size; many pods also hunt smaller fish such as mackerel. Hunting smaller creatures does have a major drawback as a few small fish isn’t even a light snack for an orca- in order for the hunt to be worthwhile, they must cause as much carnage as possible. For this reason, orcas work together in small pods to gather hundreds of fish into a tight shoal (a ‘bait ball’) and, when a significant amount of prey is collected in one area, an orca will strike at the bait ball with its tail. The force of this strike stuns and kills the fish – preventing any escapes and allowing the orcas to feed on massive amounts of fish with minimal effort.
Creating a ‘bait ball’
Blowhole blocking. Orcas don’t limit themselves to smaller prey either. They are known to orchestrate persistent attacks on enormous cetaceans such as grey, humpback and even blue whales. With a target that can be multiple times larger than themselves, orca pods must first weaken their prey by ramming, biting, and pulling on the whale’s pectoral fins- gradually sapping its strength. Then they launch themselves onto the whale’s back and entirely block its blowhole- suffocating their victim. Eventually, drained of energy and asphyxiated, the exhausted giant drowns.
Orca vs Minke Whale (Credit: National Geographic)
These modes of attack, carefully tailored to the prey and situation, reveal the sheer mental capacity that sets the orca apart from the plethora of deadly creatures from the depths of the ocean.
A ruthless, calculating mind is what makes the orca the true predator of predators.
The featured illustration of this post is a charcoal and pencil sketch of potential anatomy drawings of the orca; I created these sketches in preparation for the Nancy Rothwell Award competition.
Curiosity Killed The Cation 