why does a killer whale/orca fin bend over when in captivity?
481668
Nobody really knows for sure.  The most likely explanations stem from the amount of time captive orcas spend at the surface.  The heat from the sun causes the collagen in the dorsal fin to warp or grow soft.  Or the fin may act to some extent as a heat regulator, and the droopiness of the fin may be a result of a generally warmer environment than in the wild.  Droopy fins are observed in wild orcas as well as captives, just not as often.  Circular swim patterns may cause droopiness, but it is more likely that swim patterns simply determine the direction the fin will bend, not the softness of the fin. Another explanation is the dorsal fin is exposed to gravity more due to heightened time spent at the surface.  If the whales spent more time with their fins underwater, there would be a less pull on the fin.  And of course, all these proposed explanations may be true, and they all work together to cause droopy dorsal fins.
595160
Okay, all very cute answers.  But here a more serious one.  Indeed, there have been reports of dolphins kept in captivity that got aroused by physical interactions with their trainers.  In one of these incidences, the trainer was in the water with the animal and touching its belly, upon which the male dolphin sported an erection and the penis popped out its pouch.  Now, was that true arousal?  Probably.  What does it mean?  Possibly a very close relationship (of course not sexual) of the trainer and the animal, possibly a sign of trust, maybe more, who knows.  Now, I can't recall ever having heard about anyone touching the dolphins genitals to go further.  \n\nCan I ask you something?  Why do you want to know????  I am not sure it's safe to say, dolphins are the better lovers...  (Swim carefully, young grashopper...)
803424
Thanks for the Orca answer. The film is Kagemusha
145520
Both are hydrodynamic, that is, with the fusiform shape that is best to "pierce" the water when moving forward. In addition, such a shape maintains a laminar water flow around them (as opposed to turbulent). A laminar flow ensures support of the body (as opposed to sinking).\nMovement in water differs from terrestrial movement because the body may move in 3 dimensions; therefore, fish fins (comparable to the "flaps" of submarines... well I know nothing about submarine architecture so I guess that's not their name) counteract pitch (up/down tilt), yaw (left/right) and roll (rotation around the greater body axis).
1080152
I can't be certain, but I would hazard a guess that it might be an otter.\n\nOtters often swim with their legs tucked up against their body, making them appear to be almost serpent-like as they twist and roll through the water.
103977
Whales evolved from terrestrial four-legged hoofed animals. They've acquired hydrodynamic fusiform bodies, including tail flukes (horizontal, in contrast to the tailfin of fishes, and without internal support), dorsal fins (more or less developed, or absent); their forelimbs are flippers and their hindlimbs are extremely reduced and within their trunks. They've lost all external structures that could offer resistance to the waterflow, such as external ears, hair, or external genitalia, and thus have a smooth body surface. This is important in order to keep a laminar flow of water around the body (turbulent water does not provide lift).\nIn addition to their hydrodynamic shape, they have a well-developed layer of fat (blubber) that provides both insulation and some buoyancy. They move basically by undulations of the caudal vertebral column that move the tail up and down.
1128906
In a way--when they get beached, however that happens(I'm no scientist), the sheer weight of their bodies suffocates them, gradually.  The whales weigh so much, only water can support their bulk.\nI wish this were  not so, but it happens.
1091531
Whales are perfectly suited to their environment. Their blubber--what you are dismissing as fat--provides insulation from the very cold temperatures of deep water and holds energy reserves should hunting be scant. It is not excess weight, it is an evolved design to cope with their environment. Do orcas really look chubby to you?
353817
One of the most intense competition for mates in the cetaceans occurs in the right whales (Eubalaena glacialis and E. australis).\n\nGroups of males mob the females, and attempt frantically to mate with them.  Sometimes there are penis wrasslin' matches as the males each try to be the one who gets his genetic material in the right location.\n\nFemales, especially after several males have already harassed her, will often roll away or otherwise discourage the males.\n\nBecause of the intense competition, the right whales have the largest testicles in the animal world (about the size of Volkswagens), and produce copious quantities of sperm.  They use the blasts of sperm to try and blast any of their competition's sperm out of the way.\n\nI've heard stories (I can't confirm if it's true) that on at least one occasion a Zodiac boat carrying whale researchers got too close to the action.  The female used the Zodiac to block her naughty bits, and the researchers found themselves in the middle of the battleground of two right whale penises.  Both males thought they were successful and let blast, coating the researchers with massive loads of whale sperm.\n\nIn Chris Moore's novel "Fluke", this event occurs to two female researchers, who promptly become lesbians.
191756
Dolphins have hair at one point in their life. When they are born, dolphins have whiskers on their rostrum. A dolphin’s whiskers are about one quarter inch long, and will fall out shortly after birth, as a result of water pressure. Even so, the follicular pits remain open. One can see these follicular pits on the rostrum of any dolphin. They probably serve some sort of sensory function, like the detection of speed or current. Some great whales and one type of river dolphin retain whiskers their entire lives.
878659
"The Orca or Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) is the largest species of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). They are sometimes referred to as blackfish, a group including pilot whales, pygmy and false killer whales, and melon-headed whales. It is the second-most widely distributed mammal on Earth (after humans) and is found in all the world's oceans, from the frigid Arctic regions to warm, tropical seas. It is also a versatile predator, eating fish, sea turtles, seabirds, pinnipeds, elasmobranchs, sirenians and even other cetaceans. This puts the orca at the pinnacle of the marine food chain.\n\n"Orcas are marine mammals with a fearsome reputation that goes as far back as Pliny the Elder's description of the species. The name "killer whale" reflects the animal's habit of attacking whales, and does not mean that orcas are a threat to humans. Aside from a boy who was charged (but not grabbed) while swimming in a bay in Alaska, there have been no confirmed attacks on humans in the wild. There have, however, been isolated reports of captive orcas attacking their handlers at marine theme parks.\n\n"The Orca or Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) is the largest species of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). They are sometimes referred to as blackfish, a group including pilot whales, pygmy and false killer whales, and melon-headed whales. It is the second-most widely distributed mammal on Earth (after humans) and is found in all the world's oceans, from the frigid Arctic regions to warm, tropical seas. It is also a versatile predator, eating fish, sea turtles, seabirds, pinnipeds, elasmobranchs, sirenians and even other cetaceans. This puts the orca at the pinnacle of the marine food chain.\n\n"Orcas are marine mammals with a fearsome reputation that goes as far back as Pliny the Elder's description of the species. The name "killer whale" reflects the animal's habit of attacking whales, and does not mean that orcas are a threat to humans. Aside from a boy who was charged (but not grabbed) while swimming in a bay in Alaska, there have been no confirmed attacks on humans in the wild. There have, however, been isolated reports of captive orcas attacking their handlers at marine theme parks."
1115360
The simple answer is, of course, different anatomical adaptations. Since water helps support the whales mass, their skeletons are relatively light compared to a land animal's. The dinosaurs had made many adaptations to their weight -- just as elephants, hippos and rhinos have.\n\nThat said, a small fall for a creature of large mass is likely to do internal damage in a way that never happens for small animals.
29766
Probably a male orca somewhere, there was a gray whale calf kept for a while recovering from a stranding , but I don't know whether it attained a larger size than a male orca before it was returned to the wild. Blue whales are the only whales that reach 30m and 120 t and they have never been kept in captivity
56641
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha well its either a whale or a penis
979963
I think you want to know the difference between a porpoises and a dolphin. (If that is the case, then consider my answer but if not then never mind. )\n\n>>Porpoises have spatulate (spade-shaped or flattened) teeth distinct from the conical teeth of dolphins.\n>>Porpoises are relatively r-selected compared with dolphins: that is, they rear more young more quickly than dolphins.\n>>Porpoises tend to be smaller but stouter than dolphins. \n>>Porpoise's dorsal fin is generally triangular, rather than falcate (curved) like that of many dolphins.\n>> Porpoises tend to be less acrobatic and more wary than dolphins.\n>>Porpoises are rarely held in captivity in zoos or oceanaria, as they are generally not as capable of adapting to tank life nor as easily trained as dolphins.\n>>Porpoises belong to the Family Delphinidae, while dolphins belong to the Family Phocoenidae. \n>>extended beak present in most dolphins is absent in most porpoises.\n>>Porpoises lack a melon, while the bulbous forehead is often observed in dolphins.\n>>Porpoises are rarely observed in groups of more than one or two individuals, in contrast of the dolphins.\n>>Dolphins can be observed bow-riding, or riding on the pressure wave of a large ship or whale, on passing vessels. Unlike dolphins, porpoises are rarely seen bow-riding.♥
1132509
Did you take a stool softener or a laxative before? Are you on a special diet? Are you taking fat binders? I know models tend to have diets/take meds which other people don't, because they are under pressure to stay ultrathin and it is not always easy.\nDon't worry, it is something that can happen. The combination of the position (bending over) and laughing (generating pressure in your belly) can easily lead to what you described. Nothing is wrong with you. Hope you still kept the contract for that swimsuit store...
411135
I think, and my marine physiology is rather out of date, that if a swim bladder was so packed with air that it would be unable to hold any more, the fish would be forced to the surface because of increased buoyancy, unless it expended a huge amount of energy to counter that (think 'swim down' from Finding Nemo, but have them doing it all the time).  If the swim bladder was unable to take in any air at all, and was somehow kept empty, the perch would sink unless it made the effort to keep itself at a certain depth.