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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
killer whale |
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| PHYLUM: |
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| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Cetacea |
| FAMILY: |
Delphinidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Orcinus orca |
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| SIZE: |
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| MALE |
7-8 m (23-36 ft.) |
| FEMALE |
5-7 m (16-23 ft) |
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| WEIGHT: |
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| MALE |
3,629-5,443 kg (8,000-12,000 lb.) |
| FEMALE |
1,361-3,629 kg (3,000-8,000 lb.) |
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| GESTATION: |
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| ESTRAL
PERIOD |
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DURATION |
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MATURITY: |
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| MALE |
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| FEMALE |
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| 1. |
Killer whales live in groups called pods. A pod may have less than 5 to about 30 individuals: a mix of males, females, and calves of varying ages. Sometimes several smaller pods join together to form larger herds of 50 or more whales. |
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| 2. |
The killer whale is the largest member of the dolphin family. |
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| 3. |
Killer whales live in all the oceans of the world. They're most abundant in the Arctic and Antarctic, and areas of cold-water upwelling, where the nutrient-rich water is full of marine life. Here killer whales feast on fishes, seabirds, seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals. |
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| 4. |
Researchers have been studying the population dynamics of killer whale pods. They can identify individuals by taking pictures of the whales' dorsal fins, noting differences in shape, relative size, scars, and deformities. |
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| 5. |
Although the worldwide population is unknown, we do know that killer whales are not endangered. In fact, in some areas of the Antarctic alone, their numbers are estimated at 180,000. |
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| 6. |
Killer whales are among the fastest swimming marine mammals. They can swim as fast as 48 kph (30 mph), but they usually cruise at much slower speeds, about 3-10 kph (2-6 mph). |
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