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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Victory Day in Valletta
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International Jazz Day
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Burns Night in Scotland
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Angkor, Cambodia
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A gorge-ous mill in the Causses
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Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
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A festival of colors
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Celebrating Charles Darwin
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Celebrating Norwegian Constitution Day
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Bald cypress trees in Georgia
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The Gothic Gate in the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, Czechia
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One for the books
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Celebrating Native American Heritage Day
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The Guggenheim turns 60
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Star Wars Day
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A polar bear near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
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Flamenco dancers
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Terraced rice fields, Yuanyang County, China
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Happy holidays!
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A history of Vinland
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Umschreibung by Olafur Eliasson in Munich
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International Beaver Day
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New Years Eve in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Don t forget—it’s World Elephant Day
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Honoring the first American woman in space
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Breckenridge, Colorado
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An old celebration for a new season
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Rolling hills of the Palouse, Washington
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New Year s Eve in Sydney, Australia
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Paradise, found
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