Killer Whales Behaviours

As killer whales grow, they learn and practice many skills essential for being adult killer whales such as finding their way around the ocean, how to communicate with other killer whales members of their pods, and how to catch ocean life for food.

Adult killer whales are very active animals and they spend a lot of their time doing acrobatics at the ocean surface. They leap high into the air and land back in the water. This activity is called ' breaching '. Killer whales also slap the surface of the ocean with their flippers, fins, and tails. They often poke their head out of the ocean and play in the waves produced by boats.

Killer Whales Spouting

For killer whales, spouting is breathing. Killer whales breathe air at the surface of the water through a blowhole located near the top of the head. Their blow is a single, low bushy cloud. Spouting is the exhaling by the killer whales of air, water vapor, and water drops. Spouting is sometimes called a blow.

Breaching

Breaching is when the killer whale leaps almost clear of the water and falls back with a splash. The killer whale can swim very fast towards the ocean surface, rise above the ocean surface, and then fall back onto the surface, landing on its back or its side. Breaching makes a big splash and is usually accompanied by whale noises. This is a characteristic that killer whales share with other whales.

Sounding

Sounding is when a killer whale make sound. It usually show its flukes when sounding. The flukes are the killer whales ' tail.

Spy hopping

Spy hopping is the killer whale popping their heads out of the water to see what is ahead of them. A spy hop can last from 15 to 30 seconds. Like its dolphin family, killer whales are capable of spyhopping to get a better view of its surroundings. Killer whales can see very well above water as well as in the water.