ORCA or KILLER WHALE
(Orcinus Orca)


	DESCRIPTION: The orca or killer whale is an odontocete or toothed whale which is a misnomer because the killer whale is the largest member of the dolphin family. It is the only member of the genus orcinus and is the largest predator or the mammal classification. When someone hears the word whale, a majority of people think of the orca because of its popularity in movies and theme parks. They are carnivores and extremely skillful in hunting their prey. The males can be up to 32 feet and weigh almost 9 tons. The females can be up to 25 feet and 4 tons. They are generally black and white but some can be black and cream colored. The dorsal (upper) side is black except for a patch behind the dorsal fin called the saddle. The ventral (under) side is white or cream colored as is a small patch around the eye. There are 4 different subspecies of killer whale whose coloring is similar to what was described but it will vary slightly. Killer whales are identified by their coloring and the shape of the dorsal fin. The males dorsal fin is like an isosceles triangle while the females or juvenile males have one that is falcate (curved).
	RANGE/HABITAT: Orcas are found in every ocean but there are larger populations in cooler waters. They do not truly migrate. They are one of the few species of whale that travel from hemisphere to hemisphere following the food. The largest population resides in the Antarctic and goes into the ice packs for food. Some travel to the arctic during the summer. Some pods have been recorded returning to the same areas during certain seasons but it is unknown where they go for the rest of the year. A part of the population of killer whales are born and raised in captivity in aquariums and theme parks.
	BEHAVIOR: There are different types of killer whales that have different lifestyles and hunt for different species. Those that are considered "resident" stay along the coast of the northeast pacific and eat mostly fish and squid. They live in pods consisting of several females and juveniles who are related and a few adult males who are not. They have complex social structures and communicate in a dialect that has sounds that all orcas use but is unique to their pod. "Transient" orcas remain in smaller groups of one female and her offspring plus males who come and go for mating purposes. There speech patterns are not as complex as those in resident pods. These orcas do not eat fish but follow marine mammals. The last group is "offshore" orcas. They feed on schooling fish and possibly on marine mammals and sharks. Not much else in known about their vocal patterns or pods which are actually quite large. Orcas are extremely playful and intelligent which is why they are used in theme parks. They can be trained to do tricks and will pass this information onto their young. In the wild, orcas will catch their prey and release them near the young to teach them to hunt. Some orcas push their young onto the beach to catch prey and wait to pull the juvenile back in case it needs help.
	MATING/BREEDING: Female and male orcas reach sexual maturity by about 15 but males do not typically reproduce until age 21. Mating can occur at any time of the year so babies can be born whenever. There is a high rate of births in the winter, though. Females are reproductively active until their 40s and give birth every 3-5 years. For males, the age where they stop reproducing is unknown. Gestation is 13-17 depending on whether in captive or in the wild. Calves are generally 6-7 feet long and up to 400 pounds. These numbers vary depending upon region and whale type. STATUS: The total population of orcas is unknown but there are some regions that are more populous than others. There are no true enemies of the orca but some regions are being affected. They are also not truly affected by whaling. The main threat to orcas is man-made chemicals which are killing the fish they and their other prey eat. The fish eat the toxin and become depleted. The seals and sea lions eat the fish and become depleted. The orcas eat the fish or seals and sea lions and become affected. When they have no food, they used their fat reserves to survive which increases the potency of the toxins. They are also threatened by pollution, oil spills, noise, and boat conflicts.

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ORCA or KILLER WHALE(Orcinus Orca)

ORCA or KILLER WHALE
(Orcinus Orca)