Regarding the low temperatures that have been registered in recent weeks in our national territory, the waters of the Caribbean Sea became propitious to receive the visit of a family of Orcas that, due to their size and grace when swimming, could not go unnoticed by the look of a crew returning from Los Roques to La Guaira.
The Twitter account @mairym888 shared the emotional moment in which the crew members of the Sea Caria and Samba boats from the Caraballeda Yachting Club recorded this exciting encounter, who with shouts and whistles of joy celebrated this great coincidence of Mother Nature.
Orcas are distributed in all the world’s oceans, from polar to tropical waters -although they tend to prefer cold and temperate waters-, and from coastal areas to the open sea.
They go as far as the Mediterranean Sea. Specifically, in the Strait of Gibraltar there are several families of resident killer whales that feed on bluefin tuna.
They are not migratory animals like whales, but they do move to areas where their prey is more abundant, which, in practice, can lead them to travel great distances.
Some curiosities of these cetaceans are:
They do not represent risks for humans
Researchers and studies affirm that humans do not match the taste buds of orcas, so we are not part of their diet. Another theory says that we don’t resemble any type of food source that an orca eats, so they see no reason to attack us. The third reason is that, as a society, orcas have learned and left a legacy that hunting humans is neither necessary nor good.
Behavior
They are powerful, magnificent, intelligent and beautiful species, but above all they are a family that hunt, play and travel together. They communicate with each other and help each other in difficult times. When one member of the pack dies, it is believed that the rest resent the absence. Although not very common, it is possible to see orcas in the waters off the coast of Cabo San Lucas.
Migration
Although killer whales tend to be located in cold waters, they live in all of the world’s oceans, from Antarctica to the tropics, and also in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Their movements depend largely on the location of their prey, such as seals and sea lions, making their movement patterns unpredictable.
Diet
The orca is the main predator in the ocean and some studies say that they are more intelligent than chimpanzees. In the Gulf of California, they find an essential part of their diet, such as sea lions, fish, turtles, squid, crabs, lobsters, and baby whales.
taxomania
Actually, they are not whales since they belong to the dolphin family. Males reach 27 feet in length and weigh 8 tons with dorsal fins up to 6 feet tall. Females are smaller, reaching an average of 23 feet and weighing six tons.
Conservation
They are placed at the top of the food chain. This means that everything in your environment affects your survival. Habitat conservation is really important. Whales are smart; They know what they must do to survive, but they need our help to keep their environment clean and safe.
