Orca
Orca
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| シャチ | |||
| Character Data | |||
| AKA | Killer whale
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| Romaji | Shachi
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| Debut | Kemono Friends Pavilion | ||
| Animal Data | |||
| Scientific Name | Orcinus orca
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| Distribution | Worldwide
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| Diet | Carnivore
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| Avg. Lifespan | 60-90 years
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| Read More | Orca
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| Conservation |  Data Deficient | ||
| Orca | Pavilion | KF3 | Kingdom | Gallery |
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“G-good day… how do you do? (So embarrassing!) I really like playing with the sea kids! Sometimes I prank them too though… ehehe. I did that because I’ve become friends. I want to try various things! Also I’m really interested in food. I only eat what I like but… that’s not because I’m selfish!”
—Orca's introduction
The Orca is a type of cetacean Friend who first appeared in Kemono Friends Pavilion.
Appearance
Orca has nape-length black hair, ending in a blue gradient. To the left and right sides of her bangs, white tasks emulate the iconic eye spots of the killer whale; white ends to her side-bangs evoke the whale's white underbelly. Her eyes are brown with gold flecks, but her long bangs obscure them entirely, mimicking the illusion that the orca's white eye spots are its eyes. Akin to other cetacean Friends, the texture of her hair is very smooth and shiny, seemingly similar to her animal species' skin; in an additionally similar manner, she sports a tall, sharp dorsal fin atop her head, two black flippers to the sides of her head, and a small blowhole just above her forehead. Streaks of silver reach up from the back of her head and around the sides of her dorsal fin. As is the case for most Friends, she has a tail indicative of her species at her rear.
Orca's outfit consists of a black dress with ruffles at the shoulders and a gently black hem, with a more strongly pleated blue layer below that. The front of the dress has a spear-shaped white patch pointing downwards, again evoking the belly of the killer whale, and a white belt is worn at her waist; the belt ends are in the back, akin to a tieback dress, and are not fastened. The body of the dress is opaque, but it has long sleeves of a sheer black material which have a slight ruffling at their cuffs. She wears leggings of a likewise sheer black material, black ribbons tied in bows just above each ankle, and black Mary Jane-style shoes.
Series Appearances
| Media | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Kemono Friends Pavilion | ↪ Minor character, obtainable |
| 2019 | Kemono Friends 3 | ↪ Minor character, obtainable |
| 2019 | Kemono Friends 3: Planet Tours | ↪ Photo illustration |
| 2022 | Kemono Friends Kingdom | ↪ Minor character, unobtainable |
In Real Life
The orca, also commonly known as the killer whale, is a cetacean species found across all of the world's oceans and in most of its seas. Due to their enormous range, numbers, and density, relative distribution is difficult to estimate, but they evidently prefer higher latitudes and coastal areas over pelagic environments. Worldwide population estimates are uncertain, but recent consensus suggests a minimum of 50,000 in 2006.
A typical orca distinctively bears a black back, white chest and sides, and a white patch above and behind the eye. Calves are born with a yellowish or orange tint, which fades to white. It has a heavy and robust body with a large dorsal fin up to 1.8 m tall. Behind the fin, it has a dark grey "saddle patch" across the back. Antarctic orcas may have pale gray to nearly white backs. Adult orcas are very distinctive, seldom confused with any other sea creature. Males typically range from 6 to 8 metres long and weigh in excess of 6 tonnes. Females are smaller, generally ranging from 5 to 7 m and weighing about 3 to 4 tonnes. Their pectoral fins, analogous to forelimbs, are large and rounded, resembling paddles, with those of males significantly larger than those of females. Males and females have different patterns of black and white skin in their genital areas.
Orcas have good eyesight above and below the water, excellent hearing, and a good sense of touch. They have exceptionally sophisticated echolocation abilities, detecting the location and characteristics of prey and other objects in the water by emitting clicks and listening for echoes.
The orca is a highly intelligent and highly social animal. Orca family groups, called pods, can consist of up to 40 individuals; these can be either resident or transient pods, either staying in one general area or being constantly on the move. Some pods have been observed travelling exceptionally long distances; one study found a group of orcas travelling all the way from the Alaskan coastline to the waters adjacent to central California, a distance of more than 2000 kilometers.
When on the hunt, orca pods exhibit cooperative behaviors often compared to that of wolf packs, earning the orca the moniker of "sea wolf". Orca pods demonstrate a wide array of hunting techniques, with different methods utilized for different prey species. For instance, when hunting seals that are on a shore, killer whales will lunge from the water and temporarily beach themselves, dragging any prey they caught back into the water with them. Meanwhile, when hunting seals resting on ice floes, groups of orcas will famously swim in unison to create a wave of water that washes the seal off of its resting place, throwing it into the sea where other orcas await. Due to their intelligence, athleticism, group tactics, and incredibly efficiency, virtually any species within a killer whale pod's habitat can be on its menu; across the planet, different orca pods will specialize in different prey animals depending on regional availability. Known prey animals of the killer whale include, but are not limited to: fish, squids, octopi, seals, sea lions, walruses, sea turtles, seabirds, penguins, sharks, rays, and fellow cetaceans such as dolphins, porpoises, blue whales, humpback whales, and sperm whales.
Trivia
- Orcas belong to the family Delphinidae, being the largest known species of dolphin.
- The orca's sleek build and immense strength allow it to reach swimming speeds in excess of 56 km/h, placing it among the fastest-swimming marine mammals.
- Killer whales in captivity have been observed regurgitating fish given to them by handlers to lure seagulls, which the whales would then eat. One whale learned this trick before four other captive whales caught on and imitated it.
- The orca is an important species to Indigenous peoples around the world, many of whom regard the whales as supernatural beings.
- To the people of Haida Gwaii, on the west coast of what is now Canada, the orca is called sgáan. The Haida have many, many stories about the orca, and hold the whale in high respect.
- The Haida pass down a tale about sgáan being the descendants of coastal wolves which had became lost at sea. This story dates back to far before the "sea wolves" moniker would be bestowed upon the species.
- To the Māori, who long ago settled what is now called New Zealand, the orca is called maki. When making long Pacific voyages, Māori settlers would regard the presence of maki as a sign that they should settle in that area; as New Zealand has resident killer whale populations, it is not unlikely that spotting maki inspired the settlement of the island.
- To the Ainu of what are now Japan and Russia, the orca is kamuifumube; literally "deity whale". One belief is that kamuifumube chase whales ashore so as to provide Ainu islanders with whale meat.
- The Ainu deity of the ocean, Rep-un-kamuy, is sometimes depicted as a kamuifumube.
- To the people of Haida Gwaii, on the west coast of what is now Canada, the orca is called sgáan. The Haida have many, many stories about the orca, and hold the whale in high respect.
- Their scientific name is Orcinus orca. Orcinus means “from the realm of the dead,” relating to the Roman god Orcus, master of the underworld.
References
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale
- https://www.google.com/amp/s/relay.nationalgeographic.com/proxy/distribution/public/amp/animals/mammals/o/orca
- https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.livescience.com/27431-orcas-killer-whales.html
- https://glosbe.com/en/ain/killer%20whale
- https://haidalanguage.blogspot.com/2013/01/sgaan.html
- https://maoridictionary.co.nz/word/3405
- https://www.whales.co.nz/about-us/blog/whales-in-maori-tradition/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rep-un-kamuy
- https://hokkaido-treasure.com/column/079/