On World Wildlife Day, we"re in the ice-cold waters around the Norwegian island of Spildra with a pod of orcas, also known as killer whales. These apex predators are at the top of the food chain with a diet that includes a smorgasbord of sea creatures including fish, penguins, and even sharks and whales. They hunt in pods, family groups of up to 40 individuals that work together using special hunting techniques sometimes likened to packs of wolves. Despite their scary name, they almost never attack humans and there are no documented cases of wild orcas killing anyone. The name "killer whale" is thought to come from Spanish sailors who saw groups of them hunting big whales. Orcas are also the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family, Delphinidae.
Killer whales in Spildra, Norway
Today in History
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Poinsettia Day
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Happy Fat Tuesday!
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Total solar eclipse
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A seabird gets schooled
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Lights, camera, Sundance
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Skyscraper Day
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We have liftoff!
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Antarctica Day
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National Hummingbird Day
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Tide pools in La Jolla, California
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In celebration of cats
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GOAL!
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The otherworldly red river
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Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
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Lake Tyrrell, Victoria, Australia
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National Napping Day
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The Kelpies statues in Falkirk, Scotland
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Happy Thanksgiving!
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A viewer with a view
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Mysterious prairie mounds abound
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Beautiful baobabs
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A yearly sign that spring has sprung
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