The Orca (Orcinus orca) is a large cetacean. It is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon 2 and Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania Mobile.
Description[]
The Orca, also known as the Killer Whale, is the largest member of the dolphin family, with males reaching lengths of up to 8m (26ft) long and weighing over six tonnes, with females being smaller. It is easily identifiable by its black-and-white coloration and large dorsal fin, which is larger in males. As their alternative name suggests, orcas are apex predators, with different populations hunting different prey; some orcas will only eat fish, whereas others hunt marine animals including seals, seabirds and even other whales. They use a wide variety of techniques to catch their prey that is often unique to a specific location, such as using waves to wash seals off of ice floes and beaching themselves to catch sea lions at the shoreline. Despite this, there have been no definitive cases of orcas attacking or killing a human in the wild.
Orcas inhabit all oceans, and they occur in more parts of the world than any other aquatic mammal, including both open oceans and shallow shores, and both colder and warmer regions, though they are more commonly found in colder waters. Like most dolphins, they live in highly social family groups known as pods and are extremely intelligent. Native Americans respect the animal and have often featured it in totem arts. Tlingit cultures believe the orca to be their oceanic guardian of food.
Zoo Tycoon[]
The Orca is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon and was added as part of the Marine Mania expansion pack. In Freeform mode, it is available from the start, making it one of the first marine animals available to the player.
Like all marine animals, the Orca is an Aquatic animal and requires a large, deep tank. It can also perform in shows and is the first show animal available for adoption. It is the focus of the very first Marine Mania scenario, Orca Show and several other show-themed scenarios thereafter. The orca is also a social animal, requiring at least two animals to be happy. When happy, the orca will occasionally do some playful animations, such as swimming upside-down, doing corkscrews, splashing the surface of the water with its tail, jumping out of the water and squirting water out of its mouth at the surface.
The orca's favorite foliage is Seaweed though it also likes several other marine plants such as Barnacles, Orange Cup Coral, Sea Lettuce and Sea Stars to a lesser extent. The orca's foliage requirement is quite low, though its rock requirement is much higher, requiring at least a few Small Ocean Floor Rock clusters to completely fill its habitat suitability.
Tricks[]
| Icon | Trick Name | Trick Object Required | Tank Depth Required | Potential Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Wave to Crowd | None | 4 | +2 |
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Play with Ball | Orca Ball | 8 | +6 |
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Sideways Breach | Advanced Trick Area | 8 | +3 |
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Beach on Stage | Orca Stage | 4 | +6 |
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Reverse Tail Walking | Research | 4 | +4 |
|
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Spray Water | None | 4 | +4 |
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Reverse Breach | Research, Advanced Trick Area | 8 | +4 |
Zoo Tycoon 2[]
The Orca is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon 2 and was added as part of the Marine Mania expansion pack. In Campaign and Challenge mode, it is unlocked when a zoo reaches a rating of 5 stars, and as such adopting an orca costs $50,000.
The Orca is a tundra animal, but it can also tolerate the pelagic biome as well as coastal to a lesser extent. Like in the previous game, the Orca is a show animal. It can be taught up to 10 different tricks, ranging from three to five stars. Six out of the ten tricks are rated at five stars.
Orcas, like dolphins, can use the Pursuit Ball and hunt Arctic Cod and Yellowfin Tuna. They can use the Clam Bubbler or Treasure Chest to meet their hygiene need and are one of only two animals to use the Seal Prey Dummy, the other being the White Shark. For shelter, the orca uses the Kelp Bed.
 zootycoon.com Description
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| The orca is the largest member of the dolphin family and is not considered dangerous to humans. Its killer whale nickname is attributed to its voracious appetite for fish, sea turtles, aquatic mammals (including larger whales), and sea birds. Orcas live in more parts of the world than any other aquatic mammal, but they are more commonly found in colder waters. Orcas congregate in pods, with each pod having its own dialect. Orcas also have a highly defined social structure based on the female as dominant, and they demonstrate a great deal of care for their young. Animated, playful, and curious, orcas rely largely on sounds, including clicking noises, screams, whistles, and pulsed calls to communicate and locate prey. |
Tricks[]
| Icon | Trick Name | Trick Level | Trick Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Jump in Trick Area | 1 | 3 1/2 Stars |
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Fall Sideways in Trick Area | 2 | 5 Stars |
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Front Flip in Trick Area | 3 | 5 Stars |
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Slide on Beaching Platform | 1 | 3 Stars |
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Flipper Splash in Trick Area | 2 | 4 Stars |
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Tail Splash in Trick Area | 3 | 5 Stars |
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Swipe Ball | 1 | 4 1/2 Stars |
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Ram Ball | 2 | 5 Stars |
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Vertical Jump in Trick Area | 1 | 5 Stars |
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Spyhop in Trick Area | 2 | 5 Stars |
Gallery[]
Zoo Tycoon[]
Zoo Tycoon 2[]
Trivia[]
- In Zoo Tycoon, orcas will fart if they're unhappy.
- The orca is tied with the Whale Shark for the deepest tank requirement in Zoo Tycoon 2, at a depth of 6 units.
- In Zoo Tycoon 2, orcas are the only animal with texture files that are 1024x512 in pixel dimensions. All other animals use texture files with the dimensions of 512x512.
| Zoo Tycoon 2: Mobile animals | |
|---|---|
| Zoo Tycoon 2: Mobile | African Elephant • Bengal Tiger • Black Rhinoceros • Cheetah • Chimpanzee • Giant Panda • Giraffe • Lion • Lowland Gorilla |
| Marine Mania Mobile | Bottlenose Dolphin • Giant Pacific Octopus • Great White Shark • Green Sea Turtle • Manta Ray • Orca • Rockhopper Penguin |