Killer Whales are Mammals

Although, killer whales are shaped like fish and live in the ocean, they are in fact mammals. Killer whales cannot breathe under water. They have lungs like us instead of gills like fish. A killer whale breath through a blowhole on top of its head. Therefore, killer whales have to hold their breath every time they dive into the ocean and must return to the surface for air to breath. Killer whales can hold their breath for about 10 minutes at a time. We usually see killer whales surface in pods to breath.

Orcas like killer whales live in family groups called pods. The members of a pod hunt and feed together. They protect one another. Some pods have fewer than 10 killer whales. Other pods have as many as 50 killer whales.

Killer whales are good swimmers. They can move through the water at 30 miles per hour. That's faster than you can run. Orcas use their tails called flukes, for power. They use flippers to steer and to turn.

Killer Whale Breach

Killer whales often breach or leap into the air and land back int he water with a tremendous splash.

No one knows why killer whales breach. They may be herding fish or trying to impress a killer whale mate. They may be sending signals to each other, warning other killer whales to stay away, or pointing out a possible source of danger. Or, they may just be having fun and playing.

Sometimes, killer whales breach several times in a row. When that happens, other killer whales often join in and breach as well.