Why Orcas Hate Dolphins? Orcas View Dolphins as Toys (Chasing for Two Hours)
Beluga whales and dolphins can be considered related, as they are both marine mammals and belong to the dolphin family. However, their relationship isn't friendly. In the eyes of orcas, dolphins are always seen as food, even toys. There was an incident off the coast of Mexico where a 8-ton orca chased a dolphin for two hours on the deck, and the orca ultimately won. This chase felt more like an orca playing with a dolphin, like a cat playing with a mouse. After the two-hour chase, the orca enjoyed a delicious breakfast.
However, we shouldn't rashly say that orcas necessarily dislike dolphins. It's just possibly a natural rule and the result of their diet. Orcas don't attack dolphins exclusively; because orcas have very few other predators besides humans. They are basically at the top of the food chain, and their diet includes at least 95% of marine mammals, including seals, dolphins, and even large whales like blue whales, especially enjoying the tongues and lips of gray whales.
Orcas vs. Dolphins
Actually, orcas are also one type of dolphin. If it's the most common bottlenose dolphin, it outperforms orcas in terms of size, intelligence, and combat power. Although bottlenose dolphins can fight sharks, their main advantage comes from group hunting. They usually live in groups of dozens or tens.
And this is not an advantage for orcas, because orcas also like group hunting, and their family has passed down hunting experience and skills for generations. Moreover, like dolphins, they have high intelligence, so orcas have a definite advantage. This is also one of the reasons why orcas eat dolphins.
Orcas and dolphins are almost incomparable. Orcas typically measure 8-10 meters in length and weigh up to 9 tons, while the most common bottlenose dolphin is only one-fifth in size, about 2 meters. And they both have special ultrasonic systems for echolocation. Orcas usually move in groups of 2-3, and at most 40-50, while dolphins mostly live in groups of 10. In all aspects, dolphins are obviously inferior to orcas.
