Have you ever heard of the Orca? Or maybe of the killer whale? This animal is called both of these names. (Orcinus Orca is the scientific name). They are a HUGE predator in the ocean and the largest member of the dolphin family. Unlike most whales, it is uncommon for orcas to migrate. Some do, but it just depends where they are. Orcas are VERY intelligent especially while hunting and attacking their prey. They attack many things, but they have never been known to attack humans. In fact, Orcas are sometimes known for saving humans from sharks!
Diet
Orcas are very fast. They can swim up to 54 miles per hour, so it's pretty easy to catch dinner. An orca's diet includes fish, squid, seals, sea lions, sea birds, and whales that are much bigger than they are. They also use echolocation to locate food,
Appearance
Killer whales have black bodies, a white underside, a white spot above and behind the eye, and a grey saddle patch behind the dorsal fin. Males are typically 10 meters long and are longer than females. The male has a dorsal fin that can get to be 2 in height! A female's dorsal fin is curved and less than half the size of the males.
Pods
Orcas travel in groups called pods. They usually travel in groups of 5-30. Sometimes pods will join together and have a group of 100 or more. They are led by females, and not males, which is very unusual. Every pod has there own communication dialects. (just like we have different languages.)
Baby Orcas
Orcas are pregnant for 13-16 months. When a calf is born, it weighs 400 pounds, and is about 7 feet long! They remain with their mother for at least 2 years.
Latest News on Orcas So, if you have read this, you probably think orcas are pretty cool by now, but that's not the case with everyone. Orcas are taken into captivity and put into zoos. They are put in small tanks, outside of their environment. Other orcas are dying because of polluted waters. There are only an average of 50,000 orcas left, and more die every day.
I got all my information from defenders.org
