Charlie Shugart
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Thanks Lazlo, Tom, and MrChile.
I saw the account on TV of a mama orca resenting the close proximity of a great white shark to her baby, and she tore the shark apart.
Thanks for mentioning the specialization thing. Yes, orca pods specialize (mostly) in their choices of food groups. Remember, all orcas live their whole lives with their mama (males leave temporarily to mate). So they will learn the eating habits of the pod (often less than a dozen members).
There are two major food sources: 1. fish and 2. marine mammals.
Most pods specialize in fish (i.e. salmon). They are called "resident pods" and don't cover huge territories.
Some pods specialize in eating marine mammals- i.e. seals, sea lions, dolphins and occasionally whales (especially baby whales). These pods cover large areas and are called "transients."
Unfortunately, most TV shows present us with transient pods hunting baby seals off the east coast of South America- where the beaches are known and the hunts are predictable and it makes for tear-jerking television.
The truth is that most orcas eat fish, but filming an orca chasing a salmon under water doesn't make good TV. It's financially better to misrepresent the typical lives of orcas than to tell the boring truth (TV economics 101).
I love watching TV nature shows, but I always have a salt shaker with me, just in case. And I do a lot of research when I see or hear anything TOO spectacular.
But my TV interests are eclectic- I also watch the Miss Universe Pageant- with the volume muted  . Who needs to listen to yet another scrumptious-looking female beauty with manufactured breasts telling us that she wants "World Peace?" I just want to see her walk.
Now where was I? Oh, yes, orcas.
They are neat animals.
Charlie
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