Orcas our buddies in the Sea, we treat so bad.

[Kagemusha]

yea atleast 2 generations i guess, possibly 3.

it also gives pause to think about how our current way of living makes the aforementioned cooperation impossible. Even for people who would not want to live that way, they are the victim of it because others do and don't care, in the broadest sense.

You are absolutely right. If you have not yet watched the BBC document from my starting post about Luna, who got lost from his pod and tried to make friends with humans. You should. It is an good example how hard it is for Orca to survive in habitat crowded with humans, even if there was no malice towards it.

[phonicsmonkey]

I have found them fascinating since I saw the BBC documentary where they were filmed playing 'tennis' with a seal pup by hitting it into the air with their tails. Made me think they are more similar to us humans than we realise, in ways that we might not like to admit...

I couldn't find that clip, but check this out and thank your lucky stars that they don't consider us prey:

http://youtu.be/hPge_0lea3o

[Kagemusha]

Thanks for sharing that. Orcas everywhere seem to have the habit to play with their food and it can be gruesome. We should make no mistake that these animals are Apex predators and can kill pretty much anything at the ocean. At least some of the "playing" seems to be the elder teaching the young ones hunting tactics as around the world Orcas have developed very different kind of ways to hunt.

One clear difference they seem to have compared to humans is that in nature there has never been a recorded incident of Orca killing another Orca.

[The Stranger]

weve found the superior species :P

[Gregoshi]

I went on a orca watching tour in a zodiac type boat when I was in British Columbia a number of years ago. It was awesome to see them at a relatively close distance. One orca broke regs and approached the boat too close. It wasn't scary at all. We just got an even better look at this majestic creature. It was an amazing couple of hours.

[Kagemusha]

I went on a orca watching tour in a zodiac type boat when I was in British Columbia a number of years ago. It was awesome to see them at a relatively close distance. One orca broke regs and approached the boat too close. It wasn't scary at all. We just got an even better look at this majestic creature. It was an amazing couple of hours.

@Gregoshi. I envy you my friend. I have been considering to go to Norway next winter to an similar viewing of the local resident Orcas, but in that tour there is also included an breathtaking opportunity that you can snorkel with them:

http://www.tysfjord-turistsenter.no/...erwhalesafari/

[Gregoshi]

Kage, that looks so cool. Do it. You won't regret it.

The boat looks similar to the one I was on but they didn't allow us in the water. There were also Canadian regulations that the tour boats could only get so close to the orcas - something like 20 meters I think. But as I mentioned above, one orca decided to venture in closer to us before the boat operator could do anything about it. I don't think anyone on the boat minded at all.

[Sp4]

I have found them fascinating since I saw the BBC documentary where they were filmed playing 'tennis' with a seal pup by hitting it into the air with their tails. Made me think they are more similar to us humans than we realise, in ways that we might not like to admit...

I couldn't find that clip, but check this out and thank your lucky stars that they don't consider us prey:

http://youtu.be/hPge_0lea3o

Cats are also similar to us then =p

[Husar]

This basically sounds like they're our partners in crime in killing other animals.

I wonder what baby seals think about our praise for killer whales or about getting clubbed once vs. getting torn apart alive.

[Kagemusha]

This basically sounds like they're our partners in crime in killing other animals.

I wonder what baby seals think about our praise for killer whales or about getting clubbed once vs. getting torn apart alive.

And think what seals do to fish? And fish to plankton? It is a killing and eating fest out there.

[Husar]

And think what seals do to fish? And fish to plankton? It is a killing and eating fest out there.

Well, seals are cute, fish are not, fish count a bit more than plankton still but the latter are just insect-like and insects don't count because they're like robots.

[Kagemusha]

Well, seals are cute, fish are not, fish count a bit more than plankton still but the latter are just insect-like and insects don't count because they're like robots.

But cute things can be sooooo delicious?!?