OrcaInteract1

ACTIVITIES

Food Chain

Survival Game

Identification

Fish Or Whale

Bear or Fish

Behavior

PAC Orca

Memory

.Body Part ID

Danger

Skeleton

Echolocation

Sliding Puzzle

Bear or Fish

Orca Survival Game

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Challenge: You need to help Orcy survive. After watching an orca being born, you have four challenges.

1. Keep the baby orca away from getting attacked by a great white shark
2. Help orca navigate through some nets that are threatening to kill him.
3. Orca has beached himself on the sand. Help him escape.
4. Orca is lost. Help him find his pod again by listening to recordings of different pods.

To better understand the threats that orca face, read the description below.

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Conflicts With Fisheries

There are three main threats to killer whales: conflicts with fisheries, pollution, and habitat degradation. Today, there is a population of merely 100,000 killer whales. Some of the above threats have and continue to contribute to the population decrease. Fisheries compete with cetaceans (whales, porpoises, dolphins,) for fish. In 1956, an Icelandic fishery persuaded the United States to use machine guns, rockets, and depth charges in an attempt to rid the country’s waters of killer whales. There have been several cases like this where dynamite and bullets have been used to kill the whales. Every year hundreds of killer whales drown from being trapped in fishing nets.
Marine Pollution

Some scientists believe marine pollution is the most serious threat to killer whales. Industrial waste, agricultural chemicals, radioactive discharges, untreated sewage, oil, modern plastic debris, and many more harmful materials are dumped into the oceans on a daily basis.

Killer whales and other top predators are more vulnerable to marine pollution than animals lower in the food chain. By the time calves are born, they already have toxins in their bloodstreams. Underwater Noise The underwater world can be very noisy. Coastal development, jet skis, military maneuvers, low-flying aircraft, and drilling rigs are examples of actions that contribute to the noise. It is a concern that all of these extra sounds interfere with the communication and echolocation of killer whales.

Habitat DegradationHabitat degradation is similar in water as it is on land. Coastal and riverbank development, deep-sea dumping, gas and mineral exploration, and boat traffic contribute to habitat loss.

Glossary

agriculture - the art of growing crops or raising livestock
debris - rubbish or trash
industrial - relating to industry
radioactive - caused by radioactivity
vulnerable - likely to be exposed to an attack

Title l Introduction l Orca Info l Legends l Activities l Debate l Quizzes l Credits