Orca Encounter (Full Show) - SeaWorld San Diego - August 27, 2023

To the mighty Pacific and beyond. This whale's story is the ocean's story. And it is one we all share. Oh my God. Welcome to Earth. My name is Delaney. And I'm so honored to introduce you to this intriguing and majestic animal. There's nothing like seeing a killer whale up close and learning about their natural behavior. We hope this award-winning panel will help all of you gain a greater appreciation for these magnificent creatures and all that they represent. In every ocean, orcas living off the coast of Iceland are quite different than those near Costa Rica. In fact, there are at least 10 types, or ecotypes, of killer whales. An ecotype describes the differences between killer whale size, physical form, prey, social structure, and habitat. As you can see, the differences are subtle, but noticeable when compared side by side. Orcas are adapted perfectly to their environments. And even the whale's black and white coloration has a purpose. It camouflages the outline of their bodies in the water, making it easier for them to surprise and catch their prey. When viewed from above, the black of the whale blends in with the dark depths of the ocean. When viewed from below, the orca's white bellies match the brighter surface of the water, blending with the light above, giving them the perfect camouflage. Whales truly are a natural wonder, and my friends Ulysses and Makani are going to help me show all of you some of their physical characteristics. The blowhole is perfectly designed to allow them to get a quick breath of air at the surface of the water. Even the location of their eyes works to their advantage. It may appear that their eyes are in this white oval eye patch, however, that's a visual distraction. Their eyes are actually located right in front of that white patch, camouflaged from thrashing prey. The fin on the back of the whale is called the dorsal fin, which helps stabilize them as they swim and helps in thermoregulation. This fin has no bone or muscle structure inside of it, which is why you may see it curved. The flippers located on either side of the orca's body are called pectoral flippers, and they're mainly used for steering and stopping. Pectoral flippers have five bony discs inside them, just like the human hand. Now the lobes found at the end of the orca's tail are called flutes. The tail flute is a killer whale's engine, propelling them close to 30 miles per hour. Sure, that's as fast as some of our speedboats, but they swim the fastest and use the most power whenever they're propelling their nearly 10,000-pound bodies all the way up and out. Killer whales are highly social animals. With a well-defined social structure, an orca pod is always led by a female. Though just half the size of her male counterpart, she is in charge. It's all about attitude, not size. Because they live and work as a group, orcas need to communicate with sounds and body language. Orcas use clicks for echolocation or navigation. Whistles to socialize in the pod. And calls for group coordination and hunting. Vocal development studies here at SeaWorld show that early on, calves learn vocalization from their mothers. But as they grow, they learn from others close to them as well. This is a bottlenose dolphin call that Sheikha learned and even taught other killer whales here at SeaWorld. In fact, orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family. Whales here and in the wild use vocalization to communicate all the time. Like all animals, killer whales use body language as part of their communication. They use pectoral slaps to show dominance or to get noticed. For example, a mother may use a peck slap to get her calf's attention. Communication at Killer Whales Use in the Wild at SeaWorld. Killer whales are communicators, so it's no wonder they're at the top of the ocean's food chain. Work together to remove enough, protect their pod, and most importantly, pursue and catch their prey. Every day they cooperate to survive in the wild oceans of the world. Orcas' hunting techniques are as varied as the whales themselves. Norwegian killer whales will suck a herring, herding them together. The whales use sounds to coordinate with each other and to disorient the herring. With the fish confused and contained, the whales stun them with their powerful tail flukes, making for an amazing meal. Killer whales use vocalization to communicate all the time. They use vocalization to show dominance or to get noticed. For example, a mother may use vocalization to show dominance or to get noticed. Work together to remove enough, protect their pod, and most importantly, pursue and catch their prey. The killer whales use vocalization to coordinate with each other. Waves that wash over floating ice, knocking unsuspecting seals into the water. Makani is showing you a similar wave-making technique at the front of the pool. Demonstrating one of the many complex and impressive hunting abilities that killer whales have developed all around the world. Killer whales use vocalization to communicate all the time. They use vocalization to show dominance or to get noticed. Work together to remove enough, protect their pod, and most importantly, pursue and catch their prey. Demonstrating one of the many complex and impressive hunting abilities that killer whales have developed all around the world. Alright, now hold on! Here comes that wave! Wow! You guys did great! Let's give them another round of applause! Killer whales are found all over the world, so it's no wonder they eat all types of prey, including other whales. The blue whale on the screen here is the largest animal on Earth. It is 5 times longer and 50 times heavier than a killer whale. So how does an orca, let's use their Makani size, eat a whale that size for a while? Well, it's all possible because killer whales are the ultimate team players. In this example, we see the larger male orcas surround a sperm whale forming a perimeter. While the females continue to drag the whale forward until it reaches exhaustion. The calves then move in to join the adults in the group. Whatever their prey, killer whales always cooperate and hunt together, making them a highly successful predator. It is an important part of everyday life for killer whales. It's how they teach their young to hunt and practice their skills as they grow. You can find killer whales interacting with each other and showing off their playful side all the time in the wild. We see it here at SeaWorld too. Corpusing is when an orca swims fast at the surface, breaking out of the water just briefly. Riding away from the boat, taking a wave. Hunched, it will rock their bellies on rocks whenever they can. Our whales do it here all the time, just like killer whales in British Columbia. You can find killer whales imitating each other all the time. They're constantly mimicking and, of course, learning from one another. As you stun fish. But today, these killer whales might just be stunning all of you. We interact with our whales all day, every day, which allows us to share a trusted relationship and provide optimal health care, research, and quality of life. The whales here take an active role in their own health and well-being. Connie doing beneath the screen, they will roll over and offer their tail flukes, which allows us to obtain a blood sample from the veins running through them. Therefore, we can monitor their overall health. Onto a scale so we can weigh them, just like Orchid is doing on the screen here. That way, we can ensure that younger whales are growing properly and adults are maintaining a healthy weight. And we can even take as possible because of the trusted relationships that we have built together, day after day, right here at SeaWorld. And now I'd like to take the time to introduce you to two very special whales. We have 46-year-old Ulysses and 10-year-old Makani. Let's give them a big round of applause. Ulysses is about 10,000 pounds and Makani is a growing boy. So he has the potential to get just as big or even bigger. But right now, he's around 5,000 pounds. The two of them live here with six other killer whales and together they have inspired millions around the world. And hopefully you're all here today as well to help protect and conserve these beautiful animals and of course the ocean they live in. We challenge our whales every day to learn new things, to engage and stimulate their eyes. The whales here at SeaWorld have helped killer whales in the wild by participating in many research studies. One ongoing study monitors the whales' heart rate and breathing to understand how marine noise pollution from ship engines and other sources affect wild populations. In another study, scientists from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, took measurements of the killer whales living here, including pregnant whales. By comparing these measurements with drone footage of killer whales in the wild, scientists are able to monitor the wild population's nutritional and reproductive states. Other research has been done here at SeaWorld on the mother whale's milk composition. This research will help create an effective model to understand how toxins in the ocean impact wild killer whales and their milk supply. What we learn from the whales in our care every day is actively helping whales in the wild survive. And just by being here today, you've supported our rescue, research and conservation efforts all around the world. If we work together like the killer whale, we can protect the future of this island and this beautiful planet that we all share. For more UN videos visit www.un.org