A: Killer whales are the ocean's top predator, which means they eat just about anything they want -- including other species of whales.
A: Killer whales are at the top of the ocean's food chain. That means there is no animal in the ocean that preys upon them and they can eat anything in the sea.
A: Sometimes, but they probably don't do it very often. Killer whales usually eat fish, and sometimes seals, sea lions or even whales or dolphins. You may be surprised to learn that even thought they are the top predator in the sea, ill, injured, or very young killer whales may be prey for some large species of shark.
A: The killer whale is black and white, but its markings are not really spots. The top of a killer whale, except for a gray area behind the dorsal fin, is black. The pectoral flippers are black. The belly, jaw area and tail flukes are white. A white "eyespot" also appears above and behind each eye. This special coloration is a type of camouflage. Animals swimming below the killer whale may look up toward the surface and have a hard time recognizing the shape they see as that of a killer whale. This disguise helps a killer whale catch its prey.
A: About ten years. Male killer whales average 22 to 27 feet 96.7 to 8.2 m) and usually weigh between 8,000 and 12,000 pounds (3,628 to 5,442 kg). Females average 17 to 20 feet (5.2 to 6.1 m) and usually weigh between 3,000 and 8,000 pounds (1,362 to 3,628 kg). As a male killer whale grows to adulthood it gains weight, and its pectoral flippers, dorsal fin and tail flukes grow larger than those of females.
A: Killer whales usually surface every four or five minutes, but dives lasting as long as 15 minutes have been recorded. The average person can only hold their breath for a minute or two.
A: Killer whales are among the fastest swimming mammals in the sea. They can swim at speeds of up to 30 mph (48.4 kph), but they usually cruise at much slower speeds, between 2 and 6 mph (3.2-9.7 kph). The fastest moving animal in the world is the cheetah, it can run 70 mph (113 kph). The slowest is probably the garden snail who moves along at just .03 mph (.05 kph).
Killer whales are found in every ocean in the world.
more about killer whales
SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Animal Information Database
www.seaworld.org / www.buschgardens.org
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