Orcas, more commonly known by the name “killer whales”, have fascinated humans for centuries.
A truly majestic creature, it is also the largest mammal of the dolphin family. Orcas have the second largest brain of any marine animal and their intelligence can possibly rival that of humans. They even communicate among each other in local languages and pass on hunting strategies that can last for several generations.
Orcas typically eat seals, sea lions, a variety of fish and squid as their diet. Even though they are programmed to eat they are not known for attacking humans. In fact there have been no reported incidents of wild orcas attacking humans. Despite their common name, there are actually stories of them protecting humans from other predators such as sharks.
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Off the coast of British Columbia, a wild female orca was stranded on a group of rocks while it was hunting for food. Fortunately a man spotted the female orca stranded and immediately called up the animal rescue groups Guardians and For Whales. When they arrived, the whale had already been stranded for hours but was still alive.
The group of volunteers immediately covered the whale with tarps and sheets. Then they began to dump water on the orca to keep her alive. Eventually the volunteers set up a water pump which helped keep the whale wet and cool.
The animal rescuers said that the orca appeared to be aware that the humans were helping her. Despite this when the orca cried out in fear, the animal rescue group knew they had to do everything to keep her alive.
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Slowly but surely the tide began to creep back. The volunteers sighed with relief, but did not let up on their efforts and thankfully after 8 terrifying hours for it, the orca was able to free itself from the rocks and escape back into the ocean. Watch the truly incredible footage below.
The animal rescue groups were incredibly thankful for the efforts of all volunteers who had helped. A truly inspirational story of human teamwork to save a creature in need.
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