Killer whales: bloodthirsty dolphins raised by grandmothers (5 photos)

Killer whales are called killer whales, although they are actually dolphins. Very bloodthirsty dolphins who choose their own path.





The sizes of killer whales vary from 7 to 10 meters. These colossus weigh up to 8 tons. Killer whales are recognized by their black and white coloration and fin. Despite being called "killer whales", killer whales are a species of cetacean in the dolphin family. That is, these are huge, smart dolphins, which are armed with a whole mouth of teeth and incredible cruelty.



Killer whales are divided into two types based on their behavior. There are real scumbags among the killer whales. Solitary killer whales unite in groups of 3-5 individuals. This organized crime group terrorizes the waters in which it lives. They can attack anyone they see: whales, sea lions, sharks, dolphins, penguins. They don't care how big the prey is, they care about where to get it.

Killer whales are very smart mammals, so they find an individual approach to each victim. For example, they will attack a whale in a group, but they will drive a fur seal into a corner.





There is another type of behavior. Many killer whales choose a quiet lifestyle. These killer whales live in families, sometimes 15 mammals each. This group feeds exclusively on fish and some shellfish. They catch schools of fish and feed on them. Interestingly, it is customary for killer whales to share any prey, even the meager ones.



Matriarchy reigns in the family. Females organize families and take care of children. Males hunt. These animals very rarely quarrel with each other and become strongly attached to their family. That is why families have “wives”, “husbands”, “children” and even “grandmothers”.



Yes Yes! You are not mistaken. Killer whales are one of the few mammal species (including humans) in which females go through menopause. Killer whales live about 70-80 years. By the age of 40-50, female killer whales reach menopause. That is, from now on she cannot have offspring. But the family has very strong family ties, so the elderly killer whales look after the cubs.

In other words, grannies do everything possible to fill the heads of their clueless grandchildren with as much information as possible about the correct hunting tactics, migration routes and other complex behavior patterns.