Which of these animals would “win” if they go head to head and which one has the
best changes to survive in general. These rounds will let you find out!
Round 1: Habitat
Where do they live? Killer whales can be found in all oceans and
most seas of the world. They prefer high latitudes and coastal areas over pelagic environments.
They tend to concentrate in areas such as the coasts of Iceland, Norway, the Valdes
Peninsula of Argentina, the Crozet Islands, New Zealand, and parts of the west coast of
North America, from California to Alaska.
As for the polar bear, its range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic
Ocean, its surrounding seas, and surrounding landmasses. Even though it is formally categorized
as a marine mammal, it is the only living member of this group that with powerful, large
limbs and feet that allow them to cover miles on foot and run on land. In addition to the
arctic circle, they can sometimes be found in countries such as Newfoundland, Greenland,
Russia, Alaska, and Denmark.
What are their relative populations? There are 19 discrete subpopulations of
polar bears on Earth. As of 2017, one of these subpopulations is in decline, two are increasing,
seven are stable, and nine have insufficient data. Putting a number to these estimates,
between 22,000 and 31,000 polar bears exist on Earth today.
Moving on to killer whales, estimates are uncertain. But even so, recent consensus suggests
a minimum of 50,000. This is broken down by region as 25,000 in the Antarctic, 8,500
in the tropical Pacific, 2,250–2,700 off the cooler northeast Pacific, 500–1,500
off Norway, and 2321 in Japan.
Are these creatures endangered or not? Killer whales don't have any formal conservation
status. This is because conservation groups worldwide have come to the conclusion that
there simply isn't enough data to classify them. But it's safe to say that considering
prey depletion, pollution, fishing, and the hunting of these creatures; they're not in
the greatest of spots.
On the other hand, polar bears are definitely listed as vulnerable. This indicates an expected
population decrease of about 30 percent over the next 35 years due to pollution, climate
change, and other activities of man.
How many of them are killed in a year? About one thousand polar bears are hunted
and killed worldwide every year. They are mostly hunted for sport, although sometimes
polar bear hunting is done for safety.
The exact numbers for killer whales aren't known. However, it is known that about 300,000
dolphins and whales are killed by humans every year as a result of fisheries bycatch, pollution,
and habitat loss.
Who wins the round? Polar bear populations are underway more threat
than killer whale populations. As such, killer whales win the round.
Round 2: Diet
What do these creatures eat? Killer whales are apex predators and have
no natural enemies. They hunt in groups like wolf packs. They eat a wide variety of prey,
including fish, cephalopods, mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles. There are about 30 different
species of fish they prey on.
Like killer whales, polar bears are apex predators as well. They are hypercarnivores and eat
mostly ringed and bearded seals. Polar bears hunt primarily at the interface between ice,
water, and air. They can also eat arctic foxes and fish too.
How much do these creatures need to eat? Polar bears can eat between 10 to 20 percent
of their body weight at a time. These creatures tend to average weights of 770 pounds to
1500 pounds. That's one and a half times as heavy as a grand piano. They need at least
4.4 pounds of fat to survive every day. A ringed seal weighing 121 pounds could provide
up to eight days of energy for a polar bear.
Killer whales can weigh as much as 13,000 pounds. That's at least half the length of
a bus and at least a quarter its weight. They need between 150 to 300 pounds of food per
day as they expand a lot of energy while they swim.
Is it easy for them to find food? It is easier for killer whales to find food
than it is for polar bears. This is because killer whales tend to hunt in packs and have
an easier time subduing prey. They also feast on a wide variety of organisms.
As for polar bears, they are potent hunters, but they sometimes have a very hard time trying
to find food. Sometimes, they have such a hard time with it that they cannibalize some
of their young.
Who wins the round? Killer whales have a much easier time finding
food than polar bears do. As such, they win the round.
Round 3: Lifespan
How old can they get? Killer whales have an average lifespan of 50
to 80 years. Some have been known to live up to 105 years. Their life expectancy in
captivity is typically more than their life expectancy in the wild. Female killer whales
heat sexual maturity at the age of 20. They are one of the few non-human animals who are
known to undergo menopause and live for decades after they are done breeding.
Polar bears rarely live beyond 25 years. The oldest wild and captive polar bears on
record died at 32 years and 43 years, respectively. They typically die when they become too old
and sluggish to hunt. Since they are mammals, they take care of their young. Pregnant females
eat large amounts of food, gaining at least 440 pounds and often more than doubling their
body weight.
Who wins the round? Since killer whales live way longer than
polar bears do, they win this round as well.
Round 4: Bigger Threat to Humans
How do these creatures attack? Starting with polar bears, these creatures
are extremely great predators. They make use of their sharp teeth and sharp claws to get
the job done. They have powerful jaws which can generate a bite force of 1200 PSI. Their
bites are well adapted for dealing with prey with thick hides or heavy feathers. They are
said to be the only mammal that actively hunts humans. They have a total of 42 teeth.
Killer whales are excellent hunters as well. They make use of adaptations such as echolocation
to locate prey accurately. Although they have a mouth full of teeth, this is not for chewing.
Instead, they use their conical mouth like an appendage and use it to grab food.
How many humans do they kill in a year? Polar bear attacks on humans are inconsistent.
Nevertheless, they tend to average at least one human death per year.
With killer whales, there have been no verified attacks on these creatures on humans. But
that doesn't mean these deaths haven't happened off the record. However, some attacks have
been recorded, although these attacks didn't result in fatalities.
Recorded Incidents? In August 2005, Ellis Miller was splashing
about in Helm Bay. Then, he suddenly found himself in an emergency situation as a killer
whale about 25 feet in length was rushing at him. The killer whale had mistakenly misidentified
him as prey. The whale bumped into him but did not bite him. Disappointed he was not
food, it swam away.
In 2011, a group of British students was on a month-long arctic adventure in Norway. They
were hoping to catch glimpses of the magnificent polar bear. One of the eighty students was
named Horatio Chapple. While they slept, a bear broke into their camp, entered his tent,
and killed Chapple, in addition to injuring four of his colleagues.
Who wins the round? Polar bears win this round as they are the
far more ferocious hunters with much more human encounters. They can also choose between
prey on land, in the air, and in the sea.
Round 5: What are these creatures hunted by?
Animal threats? Both of these creatures are apex predators.
As you may recall, this means no animals are above them in the food chain, and they have
no natural threats. But it must be said they sometimes get into spats with other creatures.
Most noticeably man, in the case of polar bears and great white sharks in the case
of killer whales.
Who wins the round? In spite of the fact that both creatures are
apex predators, Polar bears have less to worry about than Killer Whales do. Polar bears need
only worry about man. Killer Whales have the Great White Shark to think about as well.
As such, Polar bears win the round.
Round 6: Speed
How fast are they? Killer whales can swim as fast as 35 miles
per hour. This allows them to close distances with their prey pretty easily. They can also
dive as deep as 500 feet beneath the water's surface in search of prey.
Polar bears are slower, seeing as they can only swim at average speeds of 6 miles per
hour. They also run at speeds of 25 miles per hour. In both instances, they can outpace
humans. They can dive up to 15 feet beneath the surface of the water.
Who wins this round? Killer whales are faster in water than polar
bears are. As such, they win the round.
Round 7: Special skills and Adaptations Both of these creatures have many special
skills and adaptations. With killer whales, they are highly intelligent and capable
of nuanced communication. They also have advanced social dynamics. In addition to this, they
use the sounds generated by echolocation to hunt. And sometimes, they even use their blowholes
to shepherd prey towards the surface and corner them. They also have superior healing attributes,
which far outperform anything else in the animal kingdom.
With polar bears, they are marine mammals. Meaning they can survive both in water and
in air. They can hold their breath for up to two minutes while hunting for prey. They
also have enhanced smelling and hearing to help them detect prey.
Who wins the round? Since killer whales have more adaptations
than polar bears do, they win the round.
Verdict Killer whales won five out of the seven rounds.
These contests had to do with habitats, dieting, lifespan, speed, and special adaptations.
Polar bears won only two of the contests, which had to do with threat to humans and
animal threats. As such, Killer Whales win the contest.
Which of these two animals would you like to see in the wild?