Marine Maddness: Orca (1977)

Orca also known as Orca: The Killer Whale is the 1977 natural horror film directed by Michael Anderson.  The film was poorly received due to its similarity to Jaws which was released two years prior, but later gained a cult following.

A selfish fisherman accidentally kills a pregnant orca, and her male takes up the task of avenging her.  The Orca in the film has been highly personified so that the audience may identify with the wronged creature and feel that it's vengeful actions are justified.

The film opens with the music of Ennio Morricone which is both very peaceful and melancholy at once.  It is a fitting theme for the movie for the film and properly sets up the emotional aspect which is later presented.  The opening greatly focuses on the Orca frolicking, this is also the first and last time that we see the two mates together.  The film does feature Nepo as the vengeful Orka, who briefly played alongside his true-life mate Yaka.

The captive whales are easily distinguishable from their life like replicas by the tell-tale "flopped" dorsal fin of captive Orcas.  The replicas clearly display perfectly effect fins.  The "stunt" whales were so well made that a group of environmentalist gathered to protest the ill transport of the models; mistaking them for actual Orcas.

Early in the film it is established that the intelligence of an Orca is superior to that of a human, and that the fetus resembles that of a human in it's early developmental stages.

The film even goes as far as showing the miscarried fetus fall from the dying female Orca and hit the deck of the ship, only to be callously washed off like garbage.  It is a very sad and dramatic scene.  The audience witnesses the male Orca's agony over having lost both it's mate and child both in the same day.

From then on the Orca is relentless in his pursuit of Captain Nolan (Richard Harris) and even goes as far as destroying Nolan's home.  Eventually deciding that he has been tormented enough, Nolan takes to the sea and follows the Orca up to the Strait of Belle Isle, where the final battle takes place.