Orca, The Killer Whale Trivia Quiz

Answer: man

Humans are the only enemy and predator of an orca. The orcas have been hunted down and killed by fisherman who claimed that the whales depleted their fish stock. Also many things such as commercial shipping, whale watching and live capture for marine parks can harm the orca's population.

Answer: bottlenose dolphin

The false killer whales are black in color and have similar shaped teeth. Risso's dolphin is often confused with orcas because of their tall and curved dorsal fin. Dall's porpoises are confused with orcas because they have a black body and distinct white patches on their belly. The bottlenose dolphin could never be confused with the killer whale.

Answer: size & fin shape

The male orca is larger than the female orca. The male's dorsal fin is straight and can be as tall as 7 feet, whereas the female's dorsal fin is short and curves toward the back.

Answer: All oceans

The orca whales can be found in every ocean but are more common in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Answer: leaps out of water and makes huge splash

The orcas breach for a couple of reasons. One reason is just for play. Another reason is to scare nearby seals and sea lions into the water. When an orca breaches, the sound can be heard several miles away.

Answer: raising its head high above water and looking for prey

Orca whales usually eat a variety of fish, squid and marine mammals. They have also been known to attack and eat sharks and other whales. The orcas can toss 600 pound prey into the air and, using their large jaws, can swallow seal whole.

Answer: only cetacean that preys on warm-blooded animals

Orcas are the only whales known to feed on other mammals, but the orca has never been known to attack and eat humans. The killer whale's genus and species is Orcinus orca. The word orcinus is a Latin word which means belonging to the realms of the dead.

Answer: Linnaeus

Owen named the false killer whales, Cuvier named Risso's dolphins and Gray named the pygmy killer whales among other animals. Carl Linnaeus was a Swedish botanist who started the classification system called taxonomy that is still used today. Scientific names are usually either Greek or Latin words.

Answer: black fish

The Nootka Indians thought the orca whales brought them strength, good health and food. The orcas were a focal point of their social, cultural and religious lives.

Answer: 25-30 miles per hour

The orca whales are the fastest members of the dolphin family. Their normal speed is 6 to 10 miles per hour. The top speed can only be produced in short bursts.