Orcas are the largest natural threat to sperm whales, though pilot whales and false killer whales are also known to hunt them. Orcas go after entire sperm whale pods and will try to take a calf or even a female, but the male sperm whales are generally too big and aggressive to be hunted.
Sperm whales only have one natural predator - the orca (killer whale) and will form tight circles when threatened with their tails facing outwards to defend themselves.
New research reveals that beaked whales use a unique silent deep-diving strategy to avoid predation by killer whales. Despite their huge size, whales are often on the lunch menu of killer whales, also known as orca (Orcinus orca).
The sperm whale's cerebellum is only about 7 percent of its total brain mass, while the killer whale's cerebellum is twice that size. Researchers contend that while sperm whales have bigger brains, their makeup means they might not be as smart as other marine mammals, namely the killer whale.
It's pretty much common wisdom that the top predator in the ocean is the great white shark (that is, if there isn't a remnant population of megalodon hidden somewhere in the deep).
Male adult sperm whales very occasionally have been known to attack orcas to compete for food. A sperm whale's heart weighs about the same as two average adult male humans (125 kg or 275 pounds).
“The humpback whale is, to our knowledge, the only cetacean that deliberately approaches attacking mammal-eating killer whales and can drive them off,” said Dr Robert Pitman, a marine ecologist and report co-author.
Do orcas have predators? Orcas are apex predators, which means they're at the very top of the food chain and they have no predators. Killer whales are some of the largest and most powerful animals in the ocean, and no other predator is able to challenge them.
Bottlenose Dolphins
For years, dolphins have been heralded as the smartest animals on Earth, second only to humans—though some would even contest that ranking. Aside from humans, dolphins have the greatest brain-to-body ratio among animal species, including primates.
Sperm whales are relatively placid mammals and very few incidents in modern times suggest otherwise. They mainly feed on squid and rarely attack, apparently only when mistaking other mammals for seals or prey.
Because of their intelligence and social nature, orca whales are unlikely to attack humans out of aggression or hostility. In fact, there have been numerous instances of orca whales coming to the aid of humans who were in danger, such as when a group of orca whales helped a diver escape from a shark attack.
Great white sharks, to be exact. But the true ruler of the sea is the killer whale. Killer whales are apex predators, which means they have no natural predators. They hunt in packs, much like wolves, which are also at the top of their food chain.
"This kind of association between one species and its apparent predator is unusual." It turns out the dolphins have nothing to fear from these particular killer whales, also known as orcas.
The most common predator of sperm whales is the killer whale. Killer whales target groups of females with young, usually trying to extract and kill a calf. Adults will protect their calves or an injured adult by encircling them.
False killer whales and sharks can also prey on sperm whales. Scenes were documented in the Galapagos Islands and some sperm whales show shark bites.
1: Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees can learn sign language to communicate with humans. Topping our list of smartest animals is another great ape, the chimpanzee. The impressive intellectual abilities of this animal have long fascinated humans.
Unsurprisingly, chimpanzees are one of the most intelligent animals on this planet—next to humans, of course. Similar to how humans inherit their intelligence from their mother, a chimpanzee's intelligence also greatly relies on their genes.
Additionally, orcas only weigh an average of 6 tons, while the blue whale ranges in weight from 100 to 160 tons. As you can see, the sheer size of the average blue whale is enough to overpower a single orca, and even an entire pod of orcas.
Even though saltwater crocodiles are large and armored, they're not strong enough to fight off a killer whale. If orcas can kill great white sharks, they can kill saltwater crocodiles.
Hour after hour of small bite after small bite, the orcas would slowly whittle megalodon down. Still, if there were a single mistake, megalodon would easily dispatch the orca in a single bite, but another would always be there to take its place.
Whales basically have two enemies: Orcas (killer whales, which in fact are not whales, but dolphins) and human beings. Only one type of Orca, the transient orca, is known to attack whales and other marine mammals. Transients Orcas are sometimes referred to as "wolves of the sea" as they will hunt in packs.