Why do some killer whales have curved fins?

Question

like shamu or the ones at the shows

Answer 1

The real answer to this question is that scientists still do not fully understand why captive fins tend to curve. The possibility that I have heard the most often is that in captivity the whales tend to swim in a circular motion around the tank, so this motion puts a continual force on the fin and it is pushed down into a curve. Evidence to support this is that if you watch the direction that the whales swims most often, the fin is pushed to the outside of the circular path.

Answer 2

The curve can also tell you the s*x of the whale. if it has a curved short  fin that looks like a half moon  its a female called saddle back. If it has a tall tall dorsal fin its a male. if its a tall fin that has curved over that is the million dollar question they are still trying to fig out but my guess would be it has something to do with the magnetic center they have and the way the earth is rotating or could be how the whale feels.

Answer 3

The dorsal fins of female orcas are smaller and more curved than those of males- which are longer and straighter.  If you're referring to the collapsed dorsal fins of captive whales, it has to do with the loss of muscle tone the whale experiences due to lack of exercise in captivity.

Answer 4

They are designed for killing , stream line , aerodynamic to cut the water, speed ,agile for fast and effective kill....!!!

Answer 5

If you are talking about curved like a hook, then all dorsal fins are like that. They help cut the water, preventing tread, and increasing agility in the water. They also help with balance at the surface, and some scientists even believe they are a source of heat for the whale, picking up the suns' rays.

But I'm pretty sure you mean FLOPPED, don't you? Like, flipped over to the side? You've probably seen it on Tillikum, the grand finale at SeaWorld Florida, or on Keiko, the star of Free Willy. There is only speculation as to why this happens, but the most reasonable theory is gravity.

Orca dorsal fins are made of cartilage, not bone. So, they are highly flexible, like your nose and ears, also made from cartilage. Male dorsal fins can grow over 6 feet tall! And if there is no bone in there, how do you think it'll be supported? Out in the open ocean, the deep water is supporting the fin almost all the time. But in captivity, the whale is spending more time at the surface, being fed (SeaWorld's orcas don't hunt themselves), getting a rubdown, or performing their various behaviours for the shows. There is nothing supporting the fin there, so overtime, it flops.

This happens to the female whales too, most of them. However, they aren't flopped right over, but they just lean, since female dorsal fins are much shorter.

No male in captivity over the age of seven has a straight dorsal fin.

But don't blame this on captivity, for there have been cases of bends and flops in the wild as well.