Killer Whales Spotted In Abu Dhabi Waters

Monday, June 9, 2008
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - A group Emirati men sighted a very unusual visitor of close to Abu Dhabi island: An orca, or Killer whale. Although the United Arab Emirates is home to more than a third of the 80 known species of cetaceans, few Killer whales have been spotted in Abu Dhabi waters, much less photographed and caught on film.

Khaled Al Hashimi, one of the group who spotted the whales, said "There were about seven whales swimming in two groups. One of the whales was almost 10 m in length and had its calf close by. We didn't feel any danger from them and they were a beautiful sight that we will never forget".

"Killer whales are resourceful and opportunistic predators. They feed mostly on fish, but are also known to hunt marine mammals, including sea lions, seals, and even large whales" said Thabit Zahran Al Abdessalaam, Director of Marine Biodiversity Management Sector of the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi.

Distribution

Orca are found in all the world's oceans and seas, from the glacial Arctic and Antarctic regions to warm, tropical seas, and are known to visit the Arabian Gulf waters from time to time. "These animals are highly social and some populations of the species are composed of matrilineal family groups, an arrangement or system in which one belongs to one's mother's lineage, and consequently tend to be the most stable of any animal species ," said Al Abdessalaam.

Killer whales can live a maximum of 50 years (females) and 35 years (males)!

Source: Wildlife Extra