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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Happy anniversary to the National Park Service!
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Everglades National Park marks 90 years
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Wake up, it s Darwin Day
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The Belogradchik Rocks in Bulgaria
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Summer winds down in the Hamptons
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Mona Vale Rockpool, Sydney, Australia
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A learning garden
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Blue hour in Trondheim, Norway
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March of the flowers
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Boxing Day—a shopper’s delight
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Tree of many colors
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World Migratory Bird Day
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A big birthday for Big Bend
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What does the fox dream?
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National Hispanic Heritage Month
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Celebrating the Acadians
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Kissing Day
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A young jaguar on a riverbank, Pantanal, Brazil
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Colosseum, Rome, Italy
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A splash by the sea
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Belgium celebrates its independence
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Citizenship Day and Constitution Day
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Daylight saving time
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The (Inca) empire strikes back
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Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador
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Full moon
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Blink and you ll miss it
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International Day of Forests
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Quilts as high art
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Alpine marmots at Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

