Why Do Orcas Dorsal Fins Collapse In The Wild
Olivia Luz
One theory as to why dorsal fins collapse in captivity is because the orca spends much of its time at the water surface and doesn t swim very far.
The whales also often swim in a repetitive circular pattern. Orcas or also known as killer whales have a dorsal fin on their back that is held in a vertical position by collagen. There are many assumptions as to why a killer whale s dorsal fin collapse whilst in captivity. The national marine fisheries service nmfs have reported.
It is seen in less than one percent of wild animals and the rare wild orca with a collapsed fin very likely acquired it from humans he said. Two male orcas were found with collapsed dorsal fins after they were exposed to the exxon valdez oil spill. Eric hoyt the author of orca. In captivity orcas are often plagued with numerous health problems.
When they do occur they are the result of serious injury or environmental contamination. The dorsal fin is held up by collagen which hardens during adolescence. There have been many theories as to why fins collapse in wild killer whales including injury age stress dehydration and poor health. Why do orca dorsal fins collapse.
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Waters there are several males with hooked dorsal fins where the top is curled over and several fins with significant abnormalities but only yuculta is known to have a fully flopped fin. Dorsal fin collapse in orcas in the wild is typically associated with emaciation the state of being abnormally thin or weak and or anthropogenic human causes such as entanglement in fishing gear bullet wounds or exposure to oil spills baird and gorgone 2005. This means that the fin tissue gets less support than it would if the orca were in the wild and it starts to fall over.
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