The Strength and Beauty of Orcas (They are strong and cool)

Introduction

First of all, orcas are just naturally strong

Among all living things, the orca is my favorite.

The reason is simple.

Because they are big and strong.

I know, I sound like an elementary school student all of a sudden, but aren't strong creatures cool?

Orcas are apex predators in the marine ecosystem. Adult orcas (about 5-8m in length) are said to havealmost no natural predators. Of course, they are affected by human activity and environmental changes. But when looking at the 'eat or be eaten' dynamic between creatures, they are way up at the top.

The top of the food chain.

This phrase is just too cool, isn't it?

The title alone is powerful.

Moreover, orcas aren't just big. They can swim. They can bite. They are intelligent. They live in pods. They learn. They have high search capabilities. They even change what they eat depending on the location.

In gaming terms,

it feels like their HP, Attack, Defense, Speed, Special Attack, and Special Defense are all maxed out.They also learn many moves.A character that should absolutely never be allowed in a tournament.

It's absurd even compared to a great white shark

When people think of strong sea creatures, many probably think of the great white shark.

The impression from Jaws is just too strong. Because of that, there are probably people who imagine a dorsal fin for just a split second when they enter the ocean.

But compared to an orca, even a great white shark starts to look like just 'one of many strong creatures.'

Orcas are significantly larger than great white sharks, have higher intelligence, are social, and hunt in pods.They have high individual performance, yet they can also fight as a team.

It's unfair.

It's enough that they are strong as individuals, but then they add teamwork on top of that. It's like a party of overpowered characters teaming up. I wish they wouldn't.

Furthermore, what orcas eat varies by region and pod. Some pods eat fish, while others target seals, whales, or sharks.

Since they can eat anything, it feels like they just eat whatever they like.

It's the picky eating of the powerful.

Even though they aren't fish, they return to a fish-like form.

However, the reason I like orcas isn't just because they are strong.

What I love here is the topic of convergent evolution.

Living things, even if they follow completely different evolutionary paths, can gradually grow to resemble each other in form or characteristics if there is a similarly advantageous shape in the same environment. This is called convergent evolution.

Take, for example, creatures that swim fast in the ocean.

Fish, sharks, dolphins, and ancient ichthyosaurs. If you look at their classification, they are completely different. Some are fish, some are cartilaginous fish, some are mammals, and some are reptiles. But, if swimming fast in the water is advantageous, they generally end up with a streamlined shape.

Man, that's beautiful, isn't it?

Even though separate creatures are walking separate histories, when they search for an advantageous form within the laws of physics—that is, the rules of the universe—they eventually arrive at a similar answer.

That's what I like about orcas, too.

If you trace back to their distant ancestors, vertebrates began as fish-like creatures, then moved onto land, and the ancestors of cetaceans once became land-dwelling mammals. Moreover, if you look at their current classification, they are mammals closely related to hippos.

From there, they return to the sea once more.

And in order to become one of the strongest in the ocean, they end up approaching a fish-like form as a result.

I just can't get enough of that.

'If you want to win in the ocean, this is the shape!!'

It feels like being shown the answer sheet of the natural world.

Strong as individuals, and strong as a pod.

Orcas are a type of dolphin.

Because they are dolphins, they are highly intelligent and use sound. They use a fatty organ in their head called a melon to produce sound and explore their surroundings through the echoes. This is what is known as echolocation.

With an ability like a search beam, they can see the world through sound, not relying solely on their eyes, even in murky water.

And they move in pods. They also communicate with their pod using echolocation.

They have high individual performance. They are intelligent. They can search with sound. And they can also act as a group.

They are too much like a cheat character.

They don't get their distance from humans wrong.

By the way, there are basically no known confirmed records of wild orcas actively attacking and killing humans.

This is also a mystery.

They are the apex predators of the sea, and physically, there is no way humans could win against them, yet they don't seem to view humans as prey in the wild.

However, that does not mean they are safe.

You should definitely not get close to them.

They are the kings of the sea. We are creatures who panic just by dropping our smartphones on land. If you get the distance wrong, it's over.

If you want to see orcas in Japan, you can go to the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium or Kamogawa Sea World. If you want to see them in the wild, you might be able to encounter them on whale-watching tours around Rausu in Shiretoko, Hokkaido.

But if you do see them, follow the rules properly and watch from a distance.

Powerful things are beautiful because you watch them from afar.

Orcas are not just creatures that are strong.

Even though they are not fish, they evolved toward a fish-like shape to win in the ocean. They are strong as individuals, and they are strong as a group. They can eat anything.

The reasons for their strength are easy to understand.

That is what I like about them.

The answer nature provided for 'if you want to win in the ocean, this is the shape to have.'

It's beautiful, isn't it?