Adult killer whales are some of the fastest whales in the world, swimming as quickly as 30 miles per hour. Calves soon become strong swimmers, though they have a lot of work to do if they want to keep up with the adults. They immediately become members of the pod, and are often protected and taught to hunt by several females in the group. The calves can make sounds soon after birth. Killer whales' milk has six times the protein of a human mother's milk. The calves begin nursing from their mothers and within a few days form thick blubber to insulate them in the cold water. The mothers and female pod members give careful attention to their calves. Think about it: What does a whale do to 'spy-hop'? Next time you go swimming, try it for yourself.Īfter around 16 months, female orcas give birth. Killer whales have one blowhole, and can dive hundreds of feet under the water. Occasionally, they will 'spy-hop' their heads out of the water to take a peek at potential prey. Killer whales have keen eyesight, both in and out of water. Male orcas are usually longer and heavier, growing to about 25-30 feet long and weighing a hefty 8-10 tons. They generally grow to about 20-25 feet long and weigh around 4 tons. Female killer whales have smaller dorsal fins and are usually smaller in size. A male killer whale's fin can grow up to six feet long. Their sickle-shaped dorsal fins are very distinct to their species. Killer whales are mostly black, with white patches on their bellies and around their eyes. Think about it: Make up a story about the killer whale that caught a moose. Researchers have even found the remains of a moose in a killer whale's belly! Exactly how did that poor moose get there?

They can easily destroy fearsome great white sharks and sometimes scavenge the remains of other killer whales. They can attack and kill blue whales, the largest mammals on earth. Killer whales don't fear any creatures, on land or sea. Along with a variety of fish, scientists have found squid, seals, walruses, sharks, penguins, turtles and even polar bears. Researchers have found an incredible variety of meals in killer whales' stomachs. While transient and resident killer whales have different eating habits, neither type could be considered a picky eater. Think about it: How are orcas like wolves? Several other killer whales could be waiting in the water, to feast on the prey their comrade frightened. If a helpless seal tries a swimming escape, it might find the waters quite dangerous.

Sometimes they 'beach' themselves, swimming up the shore of land or ice to feed or scare marine mammals into the water. When hunting schools of fish, they encircle their prey before attacking from several sides. Both types can be extremely clever and ferocious when hunting. This could be because transient whales rely on stealth to trap their prey, while residents have to coordinate complicated hunting strategies. Studies have shown that resident killer whales tend to make more sounds than transient orcas. They can recognize their own pod's sound and distinguish the sound from another group of killer whales. Killer whales make unique sounds in their pods. Like humans, they have different accents and languages. Occasionally, lone whales will hunt and travel alone, but this is rare. They travel in pods that range anywhere from 5 to 60 whales. Killer whales are sometimes called 'wolves of the sea' because of their unique social and hunting habits. Think about it: How big would your mouth have to be to hold 50 teeth? But even that might not be necessary, as killer whales have large enough mouths and throats to swallow a whole seal. Killer whales rip and tear their prey before swallowing it in chunks. Their teeth are not designed for chewing. Both kinds of killer whales are 'toothed.' They usually have four rows of 10 to 12 sharp teeth, for a total of at least 40. Resident killer whales usually stay in one specific habitat with an abundance of fish to eat. Transient killer whales migrate throughout the oceans and generally eat more mammals than fish. There are two different types of killer whales: transients and residents. They are some of the fiercest predators of the ocean. Also known as orcas, killer whales have no natural predators other than man. In spite of their name, killer whales are actually a large species of dolphin. This is one member of the dolphin family you wouldn't want to mess with. Including Alaska's coastal waters of Southeast,īering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Prince William Sound

Habitat: Ranging throughout the world's oceans,

Are moose predators of orcas