Scientific Classification
KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Artiodactyla
FAMILY: Delphinidae
GENUS: Orcinus
SPECIES: O. orca
Conservation Status
The Orca is classified as a “toothed whale”
Their large size and strength allow them to swim a little over 30 mph.
They have a distinctive coloration including a mainly black body with white on its chest, sides, and around the eyes. Males and females are the same color; however, females are smaller in size and weight, and have shorter dorsal and pectoral fins. A male killer whale’s dorsal fin can measure up to 6 feet long!
The black and white coloration allows the killer whale to camouflage in the water as they look disguised from above and below.
During their life, the females will give birth every 3-10 years to a single yellowish-orange calf. Once pregnant, she carries the calf for about 17 months before giving birth to an 8-foot, 400-pound baby!
The killer whale calves are weaned after a year or two after which they will join the rest of the pod in hunting. Once the young have acclimated to the pod, it is common for all male and female pod members to look after them.
Killer whales place a lot of importance on vocalizations (clicks, pulsed calls, and whistles) as the underwater sound helps them with feeding, communication, and orientation.
They are also extremely intelligent, which isn’t surprising since killer whales have the world’s second heaviest brain after sperm whales. They have been observed deliberately teaching their young skills, playing with fishermen and stealing their catches, and tossing chunks of ice around mimicking humans throwing snowballs.
Killer whales rest one side of the brain at a time so the awake part can still regulate breathing and swimming so they don’t drown trying to sleep.
Killer whales are apex predators, meaning they are at the top of the food chain and are prey to nothing in the wild.
There are two types of pods killer whales can fall into: the resident pod and the transient pod. Resident pods are more docile, live closer to the shore, and eat all-fish diets. Transient pods are more aggressive and hunt marine mammals in packs similar to wolves.