Attacked by an Orca near A Coruna

[Sharky34]

Maybe they are against our plastic pollution. So plastic boats are fair game.

Plastic Great White Sharks?

 

[25931]

One must cosider the more common name for these splendid marine mammals.

It seems to have slipped my mind - what was it - I know!

They were, before these fabulous nature programmes, called "Killer Whales"...........................

Only by the ignorant.

 

[rotrax]

Not true old chap.

It was in common useage in litrerature - especially sailing adventures - for over a century. IIRC they are mentioned in one of the books about Shackleton.

Attenborough and other splendid presenters started using the correct term in the mid to late 70's.

Until then the word " Orca " meant nothing to anyone except marine biologists.

I wonder how they earned that long established name 'Killer Whale'?

Behavior perhaps?

 

[cherod]

Interesting article on the Beeb, with some people who know what they are talking about!
Have rogue orcas really been attacking boats in the Atlantic?

Excellent article

 

[cherod]

Not true old chap.

It was in common useage in litrerature - especially sailing adventures - for over a century. IIRC they are mentioned in one of the books about Shackleton.

Attenborough and other splendid presenters started using the correct term in the mid to late 70's.

Until then the word " Orca " meant nothing to anyone except marine biologists.

I wonder how they earned that long established name 'Killer Whale'?

Behavior perhaps?

What , killing people ,?

 

[cherod]

Or killing fish , seals , other whales , blue tuna , whatever is part of their natural diet ,,, so then perhaps we should be calling tigers “ killer cats “ !! killer bears ,killer snakes , killer wolves , killer spiders etc etc etc ?

 

[25931]

What , killing people ,?

I take your point but I was using the term literally - unaware of the facts but I must confess that I was a little precipitate, on reflection I remember Cousteau calling them killer whales but perhaps because the term was emotive and he needed an enormous amount of money to finance his projects he used the term cynically.

 

[cherod]

I take your point but I was using the term literally - unaware of the facts but I must confess that I was a little precipitate, on reflection I remember Cousteau calling them killer whales but perhaps because the term was emotive and he needed an enormous amount of money to finance his projects he used the term cynically.

i thot he got enough from the Nazi gold to cover most things .

 

[laika]

on reflection I remember Cousteau calling them killer whales but perhaps because the term was emotive and he needed an enormous amount of money to finance his projects he used the term cynically.

He called them "killer whales" because "orca" has only become popular recently. Does anyone remember them being called anything other than "killer whales" in any wildlife documentaries they saw 25+ years ago? "Orca" on wikipedia redirects to "killer whale" and contains the sentence:

Although the term "orca" is increasingly used, English-speaking scientists most often use the traditional name "killer whale".[

Killer whale - Wikipedia

This isn't intended as a comment on the nature of the beasties, only on language.

 

[rotrax]

According to 25931 those who use the name they were known by for centuries are ignorant.

Pot calling the kettle black there I believe.................

 

[FlyingGoose]

Orcas were given the name ‘killer whale’ by ancient sailors’ observations of groups of orcas hunting and preying on larger whale species. They called orcas asesina ballenas, or ‘whale killer’ – a term that was eventually flipped around to the easier ‘killer whale’. Their Latin name, Orcinus orca, also reflects this observation of orcas feeding on large whales. Orcinus translates to ‘of the kingdom of the dead,’ and orca refers to a kind of whale. We know that orcas are top predators, yes, but not the vicious ‘whale killers’ that the ancient mariners thought them to be.
Facts about orcas (killer whales) - Whale and Dolphin Conservation

 

[25931]

He called them "killer whales" because "orca" has only become popular recently. Does anyone remember them being called anything other than "killer whales" in any wildlife documentaries they saw 25+ years ago? "Orca" on wikipedia redirects to "killer whale" and contains the sentence: English speaking scientists
Surely scientists do not normally use the vernacular when there is a Latin name ?

 

[greeny]

So from the article and other sources, the interactions with boats seems to be considered as down to 3 orcas, known as the 3 Gladys's. Why don't they track them down and attach a tracking device like they do with other large fish/mammals in the sea. The location of the Gladys's could then be issued on the internet and even added to local weather transmissions in the area concerned. Then we can stay away from them and be comfortable we are not at risk. I would think just one tracker on one of them would be enough as they stick together anyway.

 

[FlyingGoose]

As above, in biological sciences we are taught always to use the Latin name , and classification of a species , drummed into us at first year level,
All papers and written work must never include the general name but always the Latin name,
Classification in Latin allowed a uniformity of all life on earth so there could be no mistaken language issues around the scientific world .

 

[FlyingGoose]

So from the article and other sources, the interactions with boats seems to be considered as down to 3 orcas, known as the 3 Gladys's. Why don't they track them down and attach a tracking device like they do with other large fish/mammals in the sea. The location of the Gladys's could then be issued on the internet and even added to local weather transmissions in the area concerned. Then we can stay away from them and be comfortable we are not at risk. I would think just one tracker on one of them would be enough as they stick together anyway.

It is a great idea in theory and trackers have been used many a time on marine animals, but trackers are not allowed to be permanent, they have a slow decay and release, to not affect the animal it is attached to for any length of time.

 

[BurnitBlue]

I seem to remember an underwater photo of an an Orca with a penis that looked like a spade rudder. Playfull or simply horny female orca or perhaps angry male orca protecting their pod. Don't laugh i know absolutely nothing about them and my memory is not all that good.
Edit . Of course you may laugh as much as you like.

 

[laika]

Surely scientists do not normally use the vernacular when there is a Latin name ?

Scientists, like any rational people, use whatever language is most appropriate for communicating. If there's an unambiguous and widely used common name, the convention I've seen used in scholarly articles is to qualify the first use of the common name with the latin genus and specific epithet (so Orcinus orca in this case) then use the common name. It would be silly to use latin rather than english in science communicating in a popular article. "Orca" seems to have gained traction as a common name this century. When I was a child I'm pretty sure they were killer whales.

EDIT: ...and of course Google Scholar is our friend here...

Google Scholar

 

[25931]

According to 25931 those who use the name they were known by for centuries are ignorant.

Pot calling the kettle black there I believe.................

Ignorant is not, per se, pejorative and I used the word in its correct sense of being unaware of a certain fact but I should not be surprised or even bother to explain knowing that there is usually some bored individual looking for a quarrel.

 

[rotrax]

I think we all know who was looking for the argument.........................

 

[RJJ]

It is a great idea in theory and trackers have been used many a time on marine animals, but trackers are not allowed to be permanent, they have a slow decay and release, to not affect the animal it is attached to for any length of time.

Would it even be possible to find a specific animal, and respond with sufficient speed?

What we really want is Dr Dolittle to find out what they hell they want/need from these incidents. If it's play, I am sure we could buy them off with a ball or two.