Port and Starboard (orcas)

For the nautical terms, see Port and starboard.
Port
SpeciesOrca (Orcinus orca)
SexMale
Known forPreying on great white sharks
ResidenceSouth African coast
Named afterLeft hanging collapsed dorsal fin, port side

Starboard
SpeciesOrca (Orcinus orca)
SexMale
Known forPreying on great white sharks
ResidenceSouth African coast
Named afterRight hanging collapsed dorsal fin, starboard side

Port and Starboard are a pair of adult male orcas notable for preying on great white sharks off the coast of South Africa.[1] The duo are identified as having rare and distinct collapsed dorsal fins and they are named for the nautical terms, as Port's fin collapses left and Starboard's collapses right.[2] Port and Starboard are part of a distinctive "flat-toothed" ecotype present around South Africa.[3][4]

  1. ^ Ankel, Sophia (November 22, 2020). "Hundreds of great white sharks have vanished from South Africa's coast and fearsome orcas are to blame". insider.com. Insider Inc. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  2. ^ Baker, Harry (January 25, 2021). "Great white sharks: top predators or unlikely prey?". marinemadness.blog. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  3. ^ Best, PB; Meÿer, MA; Thornton, M; Kotze, PGH; Seakamela, SM; Hofmeyr, GJG; Wintner, S; Weland, CD; Steinke, D (April 3, 2014). "Confirmation of the occurrence of a second killer whale morphotype in South African waters". African Journal of Marine Science. 36 (2): 215–224. doi:10.2989/1814232X.2014.923783. hdl:2263/42023. ISSN 1814-232X.
  4. ^ Engelbrecht, Tamlyn M.; Kock, Alison A.; O'Riain, M. Justin (January 2019). "Running scared: when predators become prey". Ecosphere. 10 (1). doi:10.1002/ecs2.2531. ISSN 2150-8925.