Killer whales have often been portrayed as an animal to fear. Their name conjures images of an aggressive sea creature. The fact they can grow up to eight metres in length only adds to their menacing aura. However, there’s more to the species, also known as orcas, than what people may think.
Image Credit: Metro [Expedition Killer Whale,26-12-2024,Pack ice killer whales can grow up over 8 metres long and incredibly, are able to raise a large part of their huge body out of the water in a technique known as spy-hopping. They beat their tail fin to lift themselves above the surface. With eyes positioned either side of their large head, their field of view is 300 degrees, which means they can take a good look at their potential prey and the ice floe it?s on before each attempt at wave-washing it off the ice.,BBC Studios,Sam Stewart]
Orla Doherty has made it her personal mission to show a different side. Rather than expecting us to take her word for it, she has executively produced new BBC show, Expedition Killer Whales. As the title suggests it gives killer whales the starring role, which is different to the usual part they play.
Image Credit: Metro [Editorial use only Mandatory Credit: Photo by S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock (9191176bc) Orla Doherty 'Lorraine' TV show, London, UK - 06 Nov 2017 * A fish with legs, a lake at the bottom of the ocean and a see-through fish were just 3 of the highlights from last night's Blue Planet. This morning we're joined by the show?s producer?s Orla Doherty who was responsible for the 1000 plus hours it took to make last night?s 1 hour show She?ll be revealing her highlights of working with the legendary Sir David Attenborough, how she risked her own life for the series and what it?s like to travel to unknown and unseen depths of the ocean.]
Speaking to Metro about the normal on-screen appearances, Orla said: ‘They’re always the villains.’ In documentaries, more often than not, another animal is at risk of getting eaten when they swim into frame so viewers can feel scared. While Orla, 53, confirms it is correct that they are incredibly skilled at hunting, she added that there is more to them.
Image Credit: Metro [Expedition Killer Whale,26-12-2024,In pack ice killer whales, teaching is an essential element of their success. The matriarch of a family passes on her knowledge and experience to the younger killer whales, a process that continues throughout her long life ? she can life to over 100 years old. Here, a group of young killer whales are being taught to drag a crabeater seal safely by its tail into the water, avoiding its mouth with sharp teeth that could inflict a wound to the killer whale.,BBC Studios,Sam Stewart]
She described their ‘ridiculous intelligence’ and pointed out the strong matriarchs are particularly standout. After the females have gone through menopause, they will stick around for another 50-70 years to teach the generations below everything they know.
Image Credit: Metro [Expedition Killer Whale,26-12-2024,In Expedition Killer Whale, a team of scientists and filmmakers set out to unlock some of the secrets in the lives of pack ice killer whales - a unique type of killer whale that hunts seals by creating waves to wash them off floating pieces of pack ice. Here, the film team Tom Walker and Helen Hobin, use a gyro-stabilised camera to capture images of a pack ice killer whale as it makes its way towards a seal for a hunt.,Jessica Farrer,Jessica Farrer]
‘They work hard to keep their families together, alive and flourishing,’ she stated. ‘They should be admired, respected, loved and appreciated rather than feared.’. In order to understand the killer whales more, and educate people who may never get the chance to see them in real life, a group of scientists and filmmakers traveled to a remote corner of Antarctica. They spent five weeks at sea living in the hostile freezing conditions, and then it took around two years to analyse their footage so it could be transformed into an episode for us to digest.
Image Credit: Metro [Orla Doherty orladoherty ? Broadcasting House orladoherty's profile picture orladoherty 372w Tomorrow morning on the Today programme Radio4 mostly Sir David Attenborough with a few words from from me on #blueplanet2 #thedeep #ourblueplanet #todayprogramme #sirdavidattenborough]
![[Expedition Killer Whale,26-12-2024,Pack ice killer whales can grow up over 8 metres long and incredibly, are able to raise a large part of their huge body out of the water in a technique known as spy-hopping. They beat their tail fin to lift themselves above the surface. With eyes positioned either side of their large head, their field of view is 300 degrees, which means they can take a good look at their potential prey and the ice floe it?s on before each attempt at wave-washing it off the ice.,BBC Studios,Sam Stewart]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_232977996-f7fd.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Editorial use only Mandatory Credit: Photo by S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock (9191176bc) Orla Doherty 'Lorraine' TV show, London, UK - 06 Nov 2017 * A fish with legs, a lake at the bottom of the ocean and a see-through fish were just 3 of the highlights from last night's Blue Planet. This morning we're joined by the show?s producer?s Orla Doherty who was responsible for the 1000 plus hours it took to make last night?s 1 hour show She?ll be revealing her highlights of working with the legendary Sir David Attenborough, how she risked her own life for the series and what it?s like to travel to unknown and unseen depths of the ocean.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_232979462-3cec.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Expedition Killer Whale,26-12-2024,In pack ice killer whales, teaching is an essential element of their success. The matriarch of a family passes on her knowledge and experience to the younger killer whales, a process that continues throughout her long life ? she can life to over 100 years old. Here, a group of young killer whales are being taught to drag a crabeater seal safely by its tail into the water, avoiding its mouth with sharp teeth that could inflict a wound to the killer whale.,BBC Studios,Sam Stewart]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_232977985-6c26.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Expedition Killer Whale,26-12-2024,In Expedition Killer Whale, a team of scientists and filmmakers set out to unlock some of the secrets in the lives of pack ice killer whales - a unique type of killer whale that hunts seals by creating waves to wash them off floating pieces of pack ice. Here, the film team Tom Walker and Helen Hobin, use a gyro-stabilised camera to capture images of a pack ice killer whale as it makes its way towards a seal for a hunt.,Jessica Farrer,Jessica Farrer]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_232977977-fd34.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Orla Doherty orladoherty ? Broadcasting House orladoherty's profile picture orladoherty 372w Tomorrow morning on the Today programme Radio4 mostly Sir David Attenborough with a few words from from me on #blueplanet2 #thedeep #ourblueplanet #todayprogramme #sirdavidattenborough]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_232979275-0abd-e1734089531521.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
