LIFE'S A BEACH

These impressive predators launch themselves from the surf in a spectacular hunting strategy

- Mike Dilger

BEING BOTH AN APEX PREDATOR AND A charismatic beast, the orca, or 'wolf of the sea', must surely figure highly on most wildlife-watchers' bucket lists. The orca is a cosmopolitan species and swims in all oceans, but is most abundant in colder, temperate waters. Spotting these giants is rarely straightforward, however, and just the sight of that huge dorsal fin slicing through the water might arguably be considered a spectacle in its own right.

Did you know?

Orcas have a bite force of around 19,000 pounds per square inch (psi), the strongest of any animal. To put this in perspective, the great white shark's bite force is 4,000psi and a human's a feeble 160psi.

Anyone keen to go a step further and witness orcas at their destructive best will need to head to just a couple of locations on the coast of Argentina, between February and late April (the austral autumn). With the requisite patience and luck, you might have the opportunity to observe these apex predators hunting in a manner requiring a level of intelligence, adaptability and organisational propensity that almost defies belief.