Orca (Killer Whale)

Orcinus orca (referring to the Lord of the Underworld/Dead).

Status: Data Deficient - although Killer Whales are abundant throughout the world's oceans, some groups are considered endangered due to depletion of prey, pollution, habitat destruction (oil spills) and capture for captivity.

Although the name states "Whale," the KW is actually the largest dolphin species. It is found in all the world's oceans ranging from Arctic/Antarctic regions to tropical waters. The KW is easily recognized by their distinct black dorsal sides and white ventral sides with a white eye patch. They have large paddle-like pectoral flippers. Males can grow between 20 -26 feet in length and are easily recognized by their large, triangular dorsal fin. Females are smaller, growing between 16 -23 feet in length and have a smaller, sickle shaped dorsal fin. Wild male KW's have been known to live around 30 years of age while wild female KW's have been known to live up to 50 years or longer!

Killer Whales have amazing eyesight above and below the water, good hearing and a wonderful sense of touch. They use echolocation (similar to bats or submarines) to detect prey and other objects in their environment.

Off the West Coast of the United States/Canada, there have been three main identified groups of KWs. The first group are called "Residents." Residents mostly feed on fish and are the most common groups seen. Over 300 Resident KWs have been identified. The second group is called "Transients." Transient KWs diet is of marine mammals. They travel in smaller groups than that of Residents. Please note that Transients and Residents do NOT interact with each other. The third group is called "Offshore." As the name states, they tend to live further off from the shore and feed mostly on schooling fish.

Often called "wolves of the sea," KWs hunt in packs. KWs are apex predators, which means they have no natural predators of their own. KWs use a highly developed language to coordinate their plan of attack. Some KWs have been documented killing Great White Sharks and other, larger whales. Some species feed on smaller dolphins, turtles and seals/sea lions. Some groups off of South America have developed a unique way of catching sea lions. They will actually beach themselves to catch their prey and then carry it back out into deeper water where they "play" with their food. Young KWs often practice catching the already dead sea lion in order to perfect their skills.

Wild KWs have only attacked humans on few occasions, none of which were fatal. Captive KWs have made over 2 dozen attacks, several of which where fatal. Captive KWs often act aggressive toward each each other. This may be due in part that KWs form complex social structures. They form tight knit family bonds and as many as 4 generations can live in one pod. Pods will often learn and use dialects that are passed from generation to generation. Captive KWs do not keep the tight knit family bonds. Calves are usually separated from their pants at the age of 5 and mixed in with other groups from other parks. Often these whales will have "rake" marks on their bodies from the other whales.

As stated before, KWs are quite abundant but are still affected by humans. Remember to always pick up your trash at the beach, and please, pick up other trash you see laying around. Also, be aware of the chemicals you use at home. I personally use biodegradable/natural cleaning products. Not only is it more healthy for me, but for our environment as well.

Fun fact: Ancient Roman, Pliny the younger, describes the KW as a black torpedo, ramming into it's prey.

Please enjoy the video below of Wild Killer Whales that were recently seen on a whale watch trip off of Dana Point, California!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-iyEDg5n6E