• IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works
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    24 days ago

    Orcas are the biggest of the dolphins, and they are nightmare fuel for anything they decide is food.

    Are you a great white shark that just smelled an orca? Better nope out to the other side of the planet before the orca eats your liver.

    Are you a seal just swimming along? Oops, an orca just yeeted you 30 ft into the air with a tail slap, and is going to eat your stunned ass when you land.

    Are you a smart seal who thinks they’re safe on the ice? Nope. Orcas will break up the ice and knock you off using waves.

    Are you a grown ass moose casually going for a swim without a worry in the world? Forgot about one of your only natural predators. Now you’ve been eaten by an orca.

      • Dasus@lemmy.world
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        23 days ago

        It’s a bit of a misnomer.

        Orcas, despite being dolphins, are commonly called ‘killer whales’ due to a mistranslation of the Spanish phrase ‘asesino de ballenas’ which means ‘whale killer.’ This name comes from ancient sailors observing them hunt larger whales.

        A more technically accurate translation would’ve been whale killers.