No one knows why Killer whale dorsal fins droop, it is certinally not a sign of bad health as such. There are theories that because the whales spend a lot more time at the surface in captivity that gravity takes effect..... but wild Orcas have also been seen with a drooped fin. Keiko the most famous Killer Whale with a drooping fin lived for a very long time.
No one knows why Killer whale dorsal fins droop, it is certinally not a sign of bad health as such. There are theories that because the whales spend a lot more time at the surface in captivity that gravity takes effect..... but wild Orcas have also been seen with a drooped fin. Keiko the most famous Killer Whale with a drooping fin lived for a very long time.
I seem to recall reading about "drooping dorsal fins" somewhere in relation to possible health issues in aquatic mammals and so I am not convinced.
Certainly most captive fish species that show signs of this are likely to be unwell.
I seem to recall reading about "drooping dorsal fins" somewhere in relation to possible health issues in aquatic mammals and so I am not convinced.
Certainly most captive fish species that show signs of this are likely to be unwell.
fish fins are in no way comparable to cetacean fins. Fish can fan and close their fins at will because they are rayed. Drooping dorsal fins in killer whales is an individual characteristic. Even in the wild certain individuals have drooped dorsals.*
*It may also be a sign of captive problems, I don't know, but having a drooped dorsal fin is not a sign of a problem per se.
