Killer whales, also known as orcas, are highly intelligent apex predators found in oceans around the world. They live in family pods that are led by the oldest females and can include up to four generations. While highly social, pods do not interbreed with closely related whales. Killer whales communicate using distinct dialects and vocalizations. Though fearsome hunters, there are no recorded wild killer whale attacks on humans. However, whales in captivity face serious health and behavioral issues due to the stressful conditions of captivity.

1. KILLER WHALE

2. ORCA
(KILLER WHALE)
Killer whales, also known as Orcas (Orcinus orca) are fascinating creatures
that attract a great deal of attention from marine biologists,as well as the
general public.
Orcas are Apex predators and adults do not have any other threat in
ocean than humans, Research is always being done about Killer Whales,
and new facts about their habits, socialization, intelligence, and travel
patterns are discoveredcontinuosly.
Here are the top facts that make this cetacean so unique to the general
public as well as to the scientists.
INTERESTING FEATURES OF ORCA
 Killer Whales are one of the fastestcreatures in the sea, traveling up to 30
miles per hour.
 Killer Whales are able to control the flow of blood to their hearts and brains,
which keeps them from suffering from a lack of oxygen when they are deep
underwater.
 Killer Whales eat up to 5% of their bodyweight each day. This averages
out to over 500 pounds of food for each Orca.
 Killer Whales do most of their socialization within their own pods.However,
pods do socialize with other pods as well.
 When breeding,Killer Whales do not breed with relatives. They only breed
with killer whales that are not closelyrelated to them within their own pods.
 Killer Whales are called “Killer Whales” because they feed on other
dolphins and smaller whales, not because they kill people.They are also
know as orcas.
 The only recorded instances of a killer whale attacking a human being have
been of attacks by Orcas held in captivity. No killer whale that lives in the
wilds has ever attacked a human being.

3.  Every Killer Whale has a mark behind it’s dorsal fin that is totally unique.
These marks are used by humans to distinguish one killer whale from
another, just as humans each have their own specificcharacteristics that
make our appearances differentfrom every one else’s.
 Killer Whales use vocalization to communicate with each other, but each
pod has it’s own unique ‘accent,’ which makes it easy for Orcas to identify
members of their own pods.
 Pods of killer whales are found in all oceans in the world, but the greatest
numbers are found in coolerwaters.
 Killer Whales are actually dolphins. In fact, they are the largest dolphins in
existence,and can be up to 30 feetor more in length, and weigh up
to 12,000 pounds.

4.  Killer Whale brain is five times larger than a humans. They are very
social, intelligent, and curious. killer whales brains that have been
studied with microscopes have proven to be as structured and
developedas the human brain.
 Killer Whales have very organized and complexsocial structures, and
divide themselves in pods,which operate as human families do. They
protecttheir young, ill, and injured within their pods.
 Killer Whales spend 60% of their time foraging for food.killer whales
do not migrate, but they have been known to travel hundreds of miles
to find fresh food that is in ‘season.’
 Life expectancy of a Killer Whale in the wild is 50 – 60 years for
males, and up to 90 years for females,however, Killer Whales held in
captivity have not lived longer than 30 years, and the average life
expectancy for captive Orcas is only 20 years.
 Female Killer whales usually do not breed until they are between the
ages of 12 and 16 years old. Their gestation period is 15 – 17
months, as opposedto 9 months for humans. They nurse their calves
for up to 2 years. On an average, each female Orca that lives in the
wilds will have approximately five calves during her lifetime.
 With the new documentary out about captive Killer Whales called
“Blackfish,” more 10 interesting facts about Orcas are:
 Orcas are found in all the world’s oceans.
 Orcas are apex predatorsand lack any natural predators.
 Most males never leave their mothers.
 Orcas have culture since their hunting techniques and vocalizations
are passed down generations.
 Orcas generate 3 types of sounds:clicks,whistles,and pulsed
calls
 .Each pod has its own dialectof calls (that only they use).
 Orcas and pilot whales are the only non-human species in
which females undergo menopause (aroundage 40 years)and
live decadesafter.

5.  There may be up to 4 generations of Orcas in a traveling group.
 Orcas have the 2nd heaviestbrain among marine
mammals (sperm whales have the heaviest brain)
 A female Orca gives birth to 1 calf every five years,and she
averages 5 calves per lifetime.
 Analyzing the ASPM gene
In 2012,a team of Chinese scientists showed that a gene called
ASPM has gone through bouts of accelerated evolution in two very
differentgroups of animals—whales and dolphins, and ourselves.
The discoverymade a lot of sense.Many earlier studies had already
shown that ASPM is one of several genes that affect brain size in
primates. Since our ancestors split apart from chimps,our version of
ASPM has changed with incredible speed and shows signs of intense
adaptive evolution. And people with faults in the gene develop
microcephaly—adevelopmentaldisordercharacterised by having a very
small brain. Perhaps this gene played an important role in the evolution
of our big brains.
It seems plausible that it did something similar in whales and dolphins
(cetaceans). They’re also very intelligent, and their brains are very big.
Compared to a typical animal of the same size, dolphin brains are 4-5
times biggerthan expected,and ours are 7 times biggerthan expected.
The Chinese team, led by Shixia Xu, concluded that “convergent
evolution might underlie the observationof similar selective pressures
acting on the ASPM gene in the cetaceans and primates”.

6.  Echolocation:
Sending soundwaves that travel underwater,killer whales use echolocation
as a means for hunting . they reverberating sound provides information
about an object’s location ,size,and shape.Echolocationis also use as form
of communication.Eachpods has a distinctive sound it uses to
communicate among its memebers.
 Pods
There are three types of pods:transient,resident,offshore.Transientpods
are constantlyon the move following food sources.Residentpods stay in an
area close to shore, while oofshore orcapreferthe open water.scientists
are not clear as to why there are contrasting behaviour.some believe it is
because there are actually several speciesof ocra .in resident pods killer
whales of both genderwill live with their mothers for their entire lives
forming matrilines
 The Women Rule
It is the women who are in control of each Orca family pod. Most family
units are controlled by the oldestfemale killer whale and then her calves,
dependentolderoffspring,and potentially older male children continue to
remain. Some pods have been known to pick up stray males from time to
time as well. It’s easy to tell if you’re looking a girl Orca – her dorsal fin is
smaller and curves, while the male dorsal fins is rather triangular and
straight.
This is what makes the Orca a unique creature in the animal kingdom. The
males almost always stick with their mother throughout their entire life.
They might wander off for mating purposes fora few days because all of
the girl killer whales in their pod are close relatives, but they always wind
up coming back. A male killer whale is estimated to spend 40% of its entire
life within one body length of its mother.
As with other animals, killer whales will still go through mating rituals and
the males will compete forthe privilege of being able to have a calve, but

7. not all of the female Orcas are actually eligible Orcas. There is a unique
componentto pod life with this animal. They will not mate with another
animal that is a close relative. Mates are chosen from those that are the
furthest away from direct relations.
After the calves are born, the male whales actually assume the nurturing
role. As the female orcas hunt, the males tend to do the calve-sitting that is
required.
 That’s a Lot of Teeth:
Orcas can have up to 56 teeth in their mouth. All of them are interlocking
and they can be up to three inches long. The conical shape of their teeth
makes them the perfect tool for tearing or ripping food, but not necessarily
for chewing food. When killer whales are enjoying their dinner, then tend to
just swallow the food whole.
They need to consistently eat to supporttheir metabolism.It takes a lot of
work to keep an 11 ton body moving in the ocean’s waters! Killer whales
tend to grow to a length of about 19 feet, but some animals that have been
observed can be over 30 feetlong. That’s the same length it takes in
American footballto achieve a First Down.
 Whales unable to act on their own Behalf
Once in captivity, the adaptation process with human caretakers begins.
Whales are forced to be completelydependentupon humans for all
aspects of their survival. They no longer live a balanced natural life and are
stripped of their agency. This means they no longer are initiating, creating
or acting on their own behalf.
Trainers and veterinarians control when captive marine mammals eat,
procreate,play, and make them perform tricks for the public, which is an
attempt to replace the exercise they would normally receive in the wild.
Natural feeding,hunting and foraging patterns are lost. Killer whales are
routinely forced into small pools for many hours at a time where they are

8. unable to turn around and forced to float on the surface of the water. Some
orcas have spentthe majority of their days or nights in dark, tiny modules
unable to swim or turn around.
 Killer whales face many threats.
Killer whales have beencaught for aquariums since the early 1960's.The
first killer whale caught in the wild was in 1961.This whale died within two
days after ramming into the side of her tank. According to Whale and
Dolphin Conservation, there were 45 killer whales in captivity as of April
2013.Due to protectionin the U.S. and restrictions on trade, most parks
now obtain their killer whales from captive breeding programs.So, wild
capture is not as much of an issue as it once was. While the viewing of
captive orcas has likely inspired thousands of budding marine
biologists and helped scientists learn more about the species,it is a
controversial practice due to the potential effects on the whales' health and
ability to socialize naturally.
Other threats faced by killer whales include pollution (orcas can carry
chemicals such as PCBs,DDTs and flame retardants that can affectthe
immune and reproductive systems),ship strikes, reduction of prey due
to overfishing,and loss of habitat, entanglement, ship strikes, irresponsible
whale watching, and noise in the habitat, which can affectthe ability to
communicate and find prey.

9. REFERENCES
 "Killer Whales:Physical Characteristics".Seaworld.org.
Retrieved2009-12-30
 Ten Years after Taiji Orca Capture, 28 January 2007.Iruka (dolphin)
and Kujira (whale) Action Network (IKAN): Iruma, Saitama Prefecture,
Japan. Retrieved 2010-02-17
 "Orcinus orca – Orca (Killer Whale)". Marinebio.org. Retrieved2007-
06-26.
 Orca (Killer whale). American Cetacean Society. Retrieved 2009-01-
02
 "SeaWorld trainer killed by killer whale". CNN. February 25, 2010.
Retrieved March 11, 2010.
 National Geographic:Killer Whale (Orca) -
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/killer-
whale.html