In the 1975 film Jaws, the shark hunters use a boat named Orca.
The Orca is the small fishing vessel taken into open water by police chief Martin Brody, marine biologist Matt Hooper, and professional shark hunter Quint. Quint owns and captains the boat during the film’s central hunt for the great white shark terrorizing Amity Island. The vessel’s name is visible in the story and is also spoken by the characters.
Viewers sometimes confuse the Orca with the Indianapolis, the warship whose sinking Quint describes in his famous monologue. The Indianapolis is part of Quint’s backstory, but it is not the boat used for the shark hunt. The name Orca instead evokes another large marine predator, making it a memorable but deliberate choice.
Jaws was directed by Steven Spielberg and adapted from Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel. Its mechanical shark problems led Spielberg to rely heavily on suspense and implication, helping make the film a landmark of modern horror and blockbuster cinema.