The Opelousas courier., 1898-01-01
CORSAIRS OF THE SEA.
NO OCEAN INHABITANT Is SAFE FROM
THE FERocIous oRCA.

t5lC WIN SNSTs
-
Attacks and Kills the Biggest Whales
Sometimes Snatches Captured N::hales
From the Whalers' Hands Well
Equipped for Its Savage Career.
The orca, says the New York Ledger,
is the highwayman Of the ocean; quick,
ferocious and brave, it fears no foe,
and knows no defeat. Its common
name of killer is much more express
sive Of this terror of the seas than
orca, for it is a killer in every sense
Of the word. No inhabitant of the
deep sea is safe from its attack, and
lone can overcome it. It kills when
it is hungry, and when it Is not; it
kills merely for the sake Of killing,
and the greater the adversary, the
iercer the battle, the greater the tri-
umph for this most p~itiless OF foes, for
unfortunately 1t always trumphs. Ii
not strong enough to wage war single
handed, it will call on others of its
kind for help, end banded together,
these corsairs Of the sea car sweep
everything before them. Even the
great whale, the11giant Of creation, is
not safe from thf savage outslaughts
Of these murde4us pirates; on the
contrary, he seevEs to be a special OBJ
Iect of their attaEk. Swim he ever so
fast, try as hardhs he can to escape,
escape is simply impossible for the
uhale when once the killers are in
pursuit Of him. It will not be long
before they are by his side, and then
the frightfuljEarfare will commence.
From above tney will attack him, from
below and from all around. They will
congregate about the giants head In
furious assaults, greedily fasten
their teeth into the great lips, and
snatch large pieces of flesh from them.
High up in the air they will Heap, com
ing down ON the back of the doomed
whale, with o resounding thwack, as
they strike him smartly with their
tails. There is no cessation of the
savage warfare, no escape from the
murderous assaults. Onslaught fol-
lows onslaught in quick succession,
and as the whale gradually succumbs
to the frightful punishment, the fury
of the savage orcas seems to bere dou-
bled. On they charge more fereer
than before, madly they leap over the
PROSTATE form, and cease not the pitt
less conflict until the struggles ofthelr
victim are over for ever. Not even
then do these wolves Of the sea %relent,
into the dead giants mouth they will
dash, tear out the great tongue, and
savagely fight among themselves for
the greatest share thereof. Nor does
the orca st; | in much fear OF man,
for it has been known to attack whales
that have been already captured by
whalers; in fact, while the men were
in the very act of cutting up the car
cases. Then would ensue q fight be-
tween the orcas and the whalers, again
and again the orcas would rush up to
the whale In an attempt to carry it
away, aud again and again were they
attacked in turn by the whalers, with
boat spades and lance. The swiftly
executed movements Of the orcas, how
ever, have repeatedly gained the con-
test for their side, and more than once
they have successfully carried off the
prize, which cost the whalers 50 much
time and trouble to capture
The orca has been well equipped by
nature for its pirstical career. Long,
sleek and smooth, it combines in its
t%orpedo-like makeup the swiftest
rapidity allied 10 great strength. AL
though not very large-rarely meas
uring more than fifteen OF sixteen feet
in length-its cat-like agility makes it
the equal in power of any of the
ocean monsters. Its whole Uranium
is massively built, the jaws strong and
fitted with stout %conical teeth, and the
whole head the perfect symbolism Of
strength and bulldog-like ferocity.
These Unsuitable deyonrers will
work great havoc among the seals, es-
pecially during the breeding season.
They will kill and fairly gorge them
selves with young seals, snatching the
little ones from the fippers of their
mothers, who are powerless to defend
their offspring in the face Of such
frightful foes.
The great walrus even, with his ele-
phant-like tusks, will retreat to the
shore just as soon as he sights the
black fin Of the hideous orca cutting
swiftly through the water. Giant that
be is he does not care to risk a fight with
this greatest of ocean fighters. Dol
phins, porpoises, in fact, all creatures
of the sea, are likely to fall a prey to
the hungry orcas. The dolphins are
literally swallowed alive, and orcas
have repeatedly been seen to lift their
heads high out of the water with a seal
in their jaws, crushing. and shaking it
most viciously.
Nor do these pirates confne them
selves alone to preying on the in
habitants of the sea. They will change
their tactics and rush up the rivers
and work much damage generally.
They will destroy untold quantities of
!. salmon and other large fish that they
may chance to meet, and carry murder
and CONSERVATION wherever they 60.
These sea wolves have to destroy a
great deal of life in order to satisfy their
appetites, which, according to all &C.
counts, are enormous. Incredible al
> it may SEEM, one orca has been seer
to swallow four porpoises, and in the
: stomach of one large one-measuring
sixteen feet in length-were found
thirteen porpoises and fourteen seals.
WhaIers will occasionally take the