Orcinology (KILLER WHALES) with Dr. Jorge Vélez-Juarbe
Punted seals. Sunken yachts. Beach ambushes. And salmon hats? What’s even happening with killer whales? Are they sadists, or just hungry hungry hippos turned marine mammals? The Natural History Museum of LA County’s marine mammal expert Dr. Jorge Vélez-Juarbe joins the show to chat about peachy babies, how their language is like a trucker radio, tiny whiskers, the formal wear, what’s with the nubbin teeth, if you should go whale watching, pod sizes, Indigenous folklore, captivity struggles, whales that meow, fatty melons and so much more. Also: baby whiskers. Spooktober continues, with these aquatic killers.
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Visit Dr. Vélez-Juarbe’s website and follow him on Instagram and Google Scholar
A donation went to the Ocean Animal Response and Research Alliance
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Links to things we discussed:
Toothed whales use distinct vocal registers for echolocation and communication
Saddle patches scientific paper (2024)
Whales use ‘phonic lips’ in nose to make loudest sounds of any animal, say scientists
Video: Transient orca punts a seal 80 feet into the air near Victoria, BC!
Scientists Explain Video of Orca Punting a Seal 80 Feet in Air
Video: Whale defecates at Sea World San Antonio, crowd gets splashed right after
Iberian orca known for ramming boats seen with suspected gunshot wounds
Are these killer whales out for revenge on humans—or just trying to play?
Those Orcas Wearing Salmon Hats? It Might Not Be as Cute as You Think
Why orcas wear dead salmon as 'hats' remains a mystery, scientists say | CBC News
Captive Killer Whales Die Much Younger than Wild Orcas
Captive killer whale (Orcinus orca) survival
Killer whales breathe just once between dives, study confirms
Hibulb Cultural Center || Storytelling - The Seal Hunting Brothers
Protecting our Salish Sea, the salmon and the southern resident orcas - Tulalip News
Keet - telling "the origin of the killerwhales" - on www.Alaskool.org
Orca found dead at beach on Nootka Island
Orca - Indigenous cultures - Wikipedia
Is orca reincarnated native chief?
'They're our relatives.' Samish Indian Nation prepares to welcome new orca calf to Puget Sound
Baleen whale prey consumption based on high-resolution foraging measurements
Orca | National Wildlife Federation
Why Do Gray Whales Migrate to Baja Mexico?
New peril for gray whale survival? Predatory orcas spotted in Baja calving lagoon
Captive orcas - Dorsal fin collapse -Wikipedia
Gene Study Shows Whales Are Kin to Hippos | Eberly College of Science
Whales and Dolphins: “Who” They Are - The Whale Sanctuary Project | Back to Nature
Why do baby orcas look orange?
Rare Sighting of ‘Peachy’-Colored Newborn Orca - Newsweek
Orca’s Signature Black and White Patterns Help Them Hunt and Hide | Discover Magazine
Why Do Orcas Have White Spots Near Their Eyes?
Killer whale behaviour shows granny knows best | Natural History Museum
(PDF) Adaptive Prolonged Postreproductive Life Span in Killer Whales
Orca types and populations - Wikipedia
VIDEO: Orcas Hunting and Killing Giant Blue Whales Off Australia Coast - Business Insider
Other episodes you may enjoy:
Elasmobranchology (MORE SHARK STORIES)
Pinnipedology (SEALS & WALRUSES)
Functional Morphology (ANATOMY)
Emmenology (MENOPAUSE & PERIMENOPAUSE)
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Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn
