Killer whale facts
Factoid: The orca, or "killer" whale is the largest member of the
dolphin family.
Status: Vulnerable
Population: The worldwide population of orcas is unknown.
Threats: Recent studies have found that orcas are among the
most contaminated marine mammals in the world. Pollution and chemical contamination make orcas more susceptible to disease and likely cause reproductive difficulties.
Killer whales age: Orcas
live 30 to 50 years in the wild.
Killer whale size and weight: The average male orca grows to
23 feet long and weighs
7 to 10 tons. Females average 21 feet long and weigh 4 to 6 tons.
Watching killer whales: Although they are found in all oceans of the world, orcas are most common in the
Arctic and Antarctic and are often spotted off the west coast of the United States and Canada.
Social killer whales: Orcas are highly social animals that travel in groups called
pods. Pods usually consist of 5 to 30 whales, although some pods may combine to form a group of 100 or more. Orcas establish social hierarchies, and pods are lead by females. The animals are thought to have a complex form of
communication with different dialects (slightly different language) from one pod to another.
Like dolphins, orcas use
echolocation - bouncing sound off of objects to determine their location - to hunt, and use a series of high-pitched clicks to stun prey. Orcas feed on fish, squid, birds, and marine mammals. Orca pods often work together to catch a meal. Pods sometimes will force many fish into one area and take turns feeding or will beach (slide out of the water onto the shore) themselves to scare seals or penguins into the water where other whales are waiting to feed.
National Parks: Orcas are found in
Katmai National Park and Preserve, AK;
Kenai Fjords National Park, AK;
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, AK;
Olympic National Park, WA.