Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing orcas.
Orcas are dolphins that are also known as killer whales.
All dolphins are whales, so killer whales are both whales and dolphins.
They get the common name “whale” because they’re the largest living dolphins!
They’re so big they qualify as whales!
Male orcas are larger than females and top the charts at over 30 feet (9m) in length!
On average, a full grown male orca is 26 feet (8m) long and a female is 23 feet (7m) long.
They weigh between 1.5 and 6 tons (1,360-5,440kg), which is about the same as a full grown male
African elephant at max weight!
The male orca’s dorsal fin, or the fin that sticks out of his back, can reach 6 feet (1.8m)
tall!
That’s taller than most people! Female orca dorsal fins reach about half that size.
The name killer whale has origins in whaling.
Whalers called orcas “killers of whales.”
It’s an apt name because orcas do prey on whales much larger than themselves.
Orcas travel in groups called pods.
There may be a handful to more than twenty members in these familial groups.
Baby orcas learn hunting techniques from the members of their pod.
One of these techniques is whale drowning.
In order to take down whales, orcas purposefully prevent the whales from reaching the surface
to get a breath of air.
After enough time, the whales drown.
That’s not all that’s one the orca’s menu, though.
These dolphins eat seals, sharks, sea turtles, squids, sea birds and more.
What they eat and how they eat depends on where they live.
Now, just to be clear, even though orcas have a killer common name, that doesn’t necessarily
mean they’re dangerous to humans.
There hasn’t been a single documented case of human death by an orca in the wild.
Like wolves of the land, these wolves of the sea are often painted in a threatening light,
but orcas are intelligent and curious animals!
Orcas are the most widespread of all whales.
Though they can be found in every ocean and have even been seen hunting in freshwater,
these dolphins prefer cold waters.
Orcas most frequently swim between 65 and 200 feet (20-60m) deep, but they also dive
to depths of almost 1,000 feet (300m) and cruise along the ocean’s surface.
Orcas must surface in order to breathe since they are mammals and require air.
They aren’t able to unconsciously breathe, so they never truly fall asleep.
Instead, like other dolphins, only half of their brain shuts down while the other half
is alert and controls breathing.
Orcas bob at the surface of the water while in this “half sleep” state; this is called
‘logging’.
Entire pods may log together.
Sleeping this way helps orcas detect possible danger, as well.
Though they’re apex predators, orcas occasionally kill rivaling pod members.
Young orcas are also vulnerable to large sharks, so it helps that they can keep one eye open
while sleeping!
Orcas from different parts of the world look different from each other.
There’s debate whether or not this single species may, in fact, consist of multiple
different species.
Orcas are differentiated between ‘ecotypes'.
An orca’s ecotype describes the prey they eat as well as where they live.
In the past, this has been described as transient and resident, however, changes in prey availability
would have orcas previously labeled residents, or those that stick closer to the coast, today
labeled as transients due to food shortages.
The way an orca hunts and the food it eats does not typically change throughout its lifetime.
Hunting techniques are passed down from mother orcas to their babies.
Some create waves to knock seals off ice floes, some create ambush traps, and some even beach
themselves to snag other mammals right off the shore.
Orcas remain in their mother’s pod for life.
Friendly pods will come together where younger members have the opportunity to breed.
Killer whales are some of the only known mammals that go through menopause, but older, non-breeding
females are essential to the group as they know the best hunting techniques and can even
teach tricks specific to their pod.
These dolphins mate year round, and a female gestates for anywhere from 15 to 18 months.
She’ll give birth to a single baby as twins in orcas are almost unheard of.
The baby will always stay in their mother’s pod, but will mate with members of neighboring
pods starting at about ten years of age.
Lady orcas live longest and may live to be more than 90 years old, though on average,
if they survive their first year of life, female orcas live about 60 years.
Male orcas on average live about 40 years.
For more facts on orcas, check out the links below.
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