What Are Some Killer Whale Facts?

What do you really know about killer whales? Interestingly these giants can grow to lengths of 27 feet, 22,000 pounds and still swim an amazing 30 miles per hour. The facts about killer whales are amazing and fun.

• Killer whales are also known as orcas.
• The scientific name for killer whales is Orcinus Orca.

• Orcus was the god of the netherworld in Ancient Roman mythology.

• They are the largest member of the dolphin family.
• The class they they belong to is the marine mammal family.
• They are also known as the Blackfish and the Seawolf.
• These creatures are called killer whales not because they kill people, but because they feed on a number of other creatures such as dolphins and seals.
• Killer whales eat other marine mammals such as sea lions and seals as well as seabirds and fish.
• They eat about food volume of 5% of their body weight each day.
• They eat approximately 500 pounds of food every day.
• Killer whales have teeth that can be up to four inches long.
• They are able to travel 30 miles per hour through the water, making them faster than a number of other ocean creatures.
• They can reach very deep waters.
• Killer whales live in cold coastal waters and can be found from the polar regions to the Equator.
• You could technically find a killer whale anywhere. However, most of them are found in the colder waters.
• They do not necessarily migrate. However, they will travel hundreds of miles to find fresh food.
• Groups of killer whales are called pods.
• There are between six and 40 whales in each pod.
• Killer whales give birth every three to ten years.
• A mother whale generally only has one baby at a time.

• The gestation period for killer whales is between 16 and 17 months.

• Mother killer whales nurse their babies with their own milk.

• Killer whales have only attacked when they are in captivity.
• There is a mark behind these creature's dorsal fins that helps to distinguish them from other animals.

• They use echolocation, or sing, which is an extremely interesting way of staying in touch with other in the pod and for finding food.

• Killer whales living in captivity usually only live for about 30 years.
• Males living in the wild generally survive for between 50 and 60 years.
• Females living in the wild can live for up to 90 years.
• Killer whales have been on the Earth for about 10 to 12 million years.
• Baby killer whales are called calves.
• Calves are approximately eight feet long when they are born.
• Male killer whales are approximately 27 feet long.
• Female killer whales are approximately 23 feet long.
• Each pod of whales has distinctive vocal sounds which they use to communicate with one another.
• The pods are headed by the dominant females.
• Females outnumber male killer whales by about four to one.
• Although they can swim up to 30 miles per hour, they generally swim at speeds between two and six miles per hour.
• They come up from the water to breathe every 30 seconds or so.
• The most studied type of killer whales are the San Juan orcas.
• They belong to the kingdom Animalia.
• Newborns weigh between 300 and 400 pounds.
• The largest killer whale ever recorded weighed 22,000 pounds.
• Males usually weigh about 8,000 to 12,000 pounds.
• Females usually weigh between 3,000 and 8,000 pounds.

Learning these fascinating and interesting facts about killer whales probably has expanded your knowledge and given you some new insights into these fascinating sea creatures.