Not a Whale Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dolphin

The orca is, in fact, the largest species of dolphin. it is in the same family as the melon-headed whale, pygmy and false killer whales, and short- and long-finned pilot whales, all of which are also dolphins, despite their names.

Answer: Orcinus orca

The orca's scientific name possibly means "of the kingdom of the dead", related to Orcus from Greek mythology, but other sources suggest it is related to the Latin word for a large bellied pot (possibly related to the shape of their body). There is no true consensus on which interpretation is correct.

Answer: True

Orcas are what is known as a cosmopolitan species, meaning they live all over the world. However, they tend to be more concentrated towards polar areas. Many other marine mammals also choose to live near the poles, such as seals and baleen whales (most often during summer).

Answer: They have very small eye patches.

Type D orcas have very small eye patches. They have been spotted around New Zealand, Chile, and the Crozet and Marian islands. They are the least known of the orca ecotypes.

Answer: True

There have been multiple wild white orca sightings, and even one kept in captivity. These orcas are technically leucistic, a condition similar to albinism except pigment loss is not quite total. These orcas have visible eye patches, as the black of their upper body has been replaced with a creamy or grey colour.

Answer: Size and dorsal fin

Males have much taller, straighter dorsal fins, sometimes up to 1.8 metres (5.9 feet)! They also tend to be larger and heavier, though this is not as easily noticeable as the fin. Female dorsal fins are more curved and shorter overall, as are juvenile fins of any sex.

Answer: False

Different populations and subspecies of orca specialise in different prey; common prey choices include marine mammals, sharks and rays, and other fish. What prey they specialise in depends on local availability, nutritional value and difficulty of obtaining the food.

Answer: Whalers saw them attacking larger whales

The whalers, seeing them gang up on and kill larger whales, gave them the name "whale killer". this was later simplified to killer whale, leading to the common misconception that they are whales. Orcas are not phased by prey much larger than themselves, and have been known to attack blue whales and other baleen whales.

Answer: melon

These are all dolphins, contrary to their naming, and tend to be quite large. All except the orca are mostly black with a grey-white "anchor patch" on their stomach. The family is often referred as the blackfish, though this name is also used to refer to the individual species.

Answer: False

Orcas live much shorter lives in captivity, and often have stillbirths. They also suffer psychological damage due to boredom and loneliness. They are more aggressive to humans and other orcas, and there are cases of captive orcas killing other orcas and humans.

This killing is much less common in the wild, and there are no records of a wild orca killing a human, though they have been recorded exhibiting threatening behaviour.