There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
02-28-2015, 09:58 AM( This post was last modified: 02-28-2015, 10:03 AM by GuateGojira )
(02-27-2015, 12:29 PM)'tigerluver' Wrote: On Tilikum, I might be missing what makes him obese. I compared him to some wild pictures:
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
He's certainly thicker than the whale in the top picture, but similar to whale in the second picture. How exactly does one gauge between fat and a robust body between orcas? In land animals fat is easy to see, but orcas are so round yet compact. Could his thickness be a characteristic of his ecotype? There are a lot of ecotypes, and each's physique can be significantly different.
Both of these are females, not males.
The first is clearly a captive specimen, you can even see the edge of the pool in the lower right corner. The second seems wild, but she could be pregnant.
Here are some wild males:
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
With these few images, I also can't see to much differences, apart from the fact that a wild male orca is MAGNIFICENT!!!
Check how strong and powerful are these males!!! [img]images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]
However, when I saw the image underwater I could see that even when they are so massive, that male doesn't look so "fatty" in comparison with Tilikum.
Maybe this wild males could weight "more", thanks to its muscles, while Tilikum and other captive wild-born males could weight "more" thanks to its fat layers.