The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-04
ENEMY OF THE SEALS.
Scientists to Study the Habits of the
"KiIIer" Whale.
New York Journal.

ANCW W OOuL Ildt.
Dr. Stejneger and Mr. Lucas. the two
scientists of the National Museum, who
have started for Boring sea for the purpose
Of branding some of the seals expert
mentally, are going to devote some atten-
ton to the study OF marine mammal
which, next to man, is the most formidable
enemy of those glossy-coated pinnipeds.
the 'orca," or Killer 1t is the most
ferocious animal that lives in the sea, and
in this quality il is not surpassed by the
tiger of the jungle or by any other car
nivorous land mammal. The dreaded blue,
man-eating shark is not more fierce, while
the Orca's powers of destruction are rem
defed vastly greater by a superior lntelll-
gence. When to these gifts added an
Unsuitable appetite and a disposition to kill
out or pure Wantoness, the character OF
the beast may be fairly realized. So far
as is known it never attacks man, but this
can hardly be because of fear, inasmuch
as this marine fiend seems to be afraid of
nothing. Though only about eighteen feet
long, it does not hesitate to assail the
largest whales.
The orca, in fact, may be called the wolf
of the sea Like the land wolf, it travels
in packs There is nothing in the ocean
that it is afraid of. Porpoises are fire.
quently it's victims. The creature itself is
classed by naturalists as large kind of
porpoise- Seals are its favorite prey, and
ming seals for weeks. just as wolves on
land pursue herds of wild cattle or horses
They will attack full-grown walruses and
rob them of their young. So strong and
swift are they that they are very rarely
captured. The only people who hunt them
are the Makah Indians, of Washington
State. who are very fond of their flesh and
fat. They have twenty-four huge conical
teeth, which are sometimes sold curiosi-
ties. Killer whales are plentiful in At
lantic waters. Often they are useful to
fishermen, driving schools of fish ashore
on Cape Cod, Nantucket and elsewhere.
The orcas are true whales Their back
fins are about six feet high and look like
enormous daggers as they project above
the surface of the water. A sea captain
told the writer of an attack which he saw
made by pack of orcas upon great cow
whale and her calf. They surrounded her
and began literally to tear her to pieces.
The calf was three times as big as any
one of the assailantS, but they quickly
killed it, the carcass sinking to the bottom.
They followed it down and came up with
huge fragments of flesh in their mouths.
While they were thus engaged the mother
swan away leaving a bloody track behind
her.
Seals in swimming herd assailed by
killer whales are distracted with fright
They will even approach vessels, as if for
refuge. During the season when the fur
seals breed on the Pribylov islands, in Be
ring sea, the ocean is filled with hungry
orcas. The latter are waiting for the
young pups to go into the water to take
their first lessons in swimming. Then they
gobble them up. While the young seals
are learning to swim in shallow water the
killers rush upon them among the rocks,
and sometimes get stranded themselves
Sometimes the native Aleuts will capture
an Orca with a dozen or twenty seal pups
in it's stomach.