Nerve writer Charlotte Kenny has written an article about Killer Whales.

By Charlotte Kenny

Killer whales are the largest of the dolphin family, they are at the top of the food chain and they are currently considered not endangered however their main prey is in decline.

People wonder why they are referred to as a killer whale when they are dolphins but whales and dolphins are closely related.

A grieving orca has been pictured carrying its late calf off the shore of Vancouver Island on the 24th July and it has been spotted two weeks later holding onto its child.

It is a fact that these animals are known to cling onto their dead calf for as long as a week but this killer whale has set a new record. It has been estimated that the grieving mother has carried her child for over 1,000 miles.

However, scientists are keeping a close eye on the orca and they are worried that she is not getting enough food as she has been carrying her baby round for so long.

Orcas face a number of threats as they often get caught in fishing nets, they come head to head with problems with toxic waste as well as pollution in the ocean. Some killer whales also get caught and sold to places such as SeaWorld and other places of captivity.

An organization known as WDC works to protect orcas as well as their homes across the world in order to put an end to captivity and killer whales being mistreated.