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• Killer Whales (home)
  Killer whales are very striking animals. Although they are powerful predators, they do not attack humans, unlike many other predators such as tigers, lions, and polar bears. They only hunt and kill to eat. Although killer whales are called whales, they are more closely related to dolphins. Killer whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. The common dolphins are closely related to killer whales. Killer whales are found in all oceans of the world. Scientists call a killer whale an orca.
  
  
• Where Killer Whales live
  Killer whales or orcas are most common in freezing cold waters of polar regions. Although, killer whales are found in all the oceans of the world, most of them live in icy coastal waters around the North or South poles. Killer whales probably exist in more parts of the world than any other cetaceans. Although, killer whales live both in the open ocean and close to shore, they’re most abundant in the Arctic and Antarctic, and areas of cold water, where the nutrient-rich water is full of marine life to feast on.
  
  
• Killer Whale Birth
  The birth of a killer whale is fascinating. A young killer whale is usually born tail first. A young killer whale feeds on its mother's rich milk under water.
  
  
  • Killer Whales Breeding
    A killer whale has to be at least 10 - 15 years old and possibly as old as 17 years old, before it is able to breed. Killer whales probably choose their mates when tow or more family pods gather together to form a superpod. These superpods can stay together for several minutes or hours at a time.
    
    
  • Killer Whales Birth
    Male killer whales reach breeding age when they are around 22 feet long while females can breed when they are about 16 feet (4.9 meters) long. Killer whales mating happens all year around. Female killer whales usually give birth every 3 to 10 years
    
    
  • Killer Whales Growing Up
    During the first year of killer whales' lives, the killer whale calves feed only on their killer whale mothers' milk. A killer whale calf forms a special feeding tube by holding its tongue against the roof of its mouth. The killer whale mother squirts her milk into the tube. The killer whale calf is suckled underwater, but near the surface so that both mother and baby killer whales can come up for air. Killer whale milk is extremely rich and it help the killer whale calf grow quickly. Young killer whales grow very quickly in the first year of their lives.
    
    
  • Killer Whales Family
    Killer whales belong to a group of animals known as the cetaceans (pronounced 'set-ay-shuns'). All of the world's whales, dolphins and porpoises are cetaceans. Despite the name, killer whales are actually the largest member of the dolphin family. Perhaps, killer whales should have been called 'killer dolphins'. The common dolphins are one of killer whales' close relatives.
    
    
• Killer Whale Sounds
  Killer whales use sounds for many purposes. A killer whale makes sounds themselves for echolocation. Killer whales also use sounds in the environment for navigation.
  
  
  • Killer Whales Communication
    Killer whale calves have to learn hot ot communicate with other killer whales in thier pods. Killer whales are always talking to one another using a variety of whilstling sounds, screams, adn sqeals. We do not undersand what the diffrent sounds mean, so we do not know what th ey are saying. If one killwe whale uses a particular call, another killer whale may respond with exactly the same call.
    
    
  • Killer Whales Senses
    Killer whales have well-developed, acute senses. They can hear a vast range of sounds and possess skin that is sensitive to touch. Killer whales have excellent vision in and out of water. It is not known whether or not they may have some sort of sense of taste.
    
    
    • Echolocation
      What is Echolocation? Echolocation refers to an ability that killer whales possess that enables them to locate and discriminate objects by projecting high-frequency sound waves and listening for echoes. Killer whales echolocate by producing clicking sounds and then receiving and interpreting the resulting echo. Each click a killer whale makes lasts less than one millisecond. Echolocation allows ocean life such as killer whales to determine size, shape, speed, distance, direction, and even some of the internal structure of objects in the water.
      
      
• Killer Whales Endangered
  Are killer whales endangered? Killer whales are not endangered at the present time. However, killer whales have been heavily hunted in the past and killed by accident or captured.
  
  
  • Killer Whales Extinction
    Unlike some other whales, killer whales are not in danger of becoming extinct. They have not been heavily hunted although sometimes they are killed by fishermen or taken alive and kept in marine parks and zoos. Yet killer whales face many different threats in the wild. Fishermen sometimes take too many fish, which threatened their food supplies. Dangerous pollutants from factories, farmland, and towns pour into the sea every day and threaten their health. In many parts of the world, killer whales are injured or killed by boat propellers and harmed by oil spills.
    
    
  • Death of Killer Whales
    Killer whales usually live a long time. Female killer whales tend to live longer than male killer whales. The longest a male killer whale can live is believed to be 50 -60 years. A female killer whale can probably live 80 - 90 years or even longer. Average life expectancy is estimated at about 30 years for males and 50 years for females.
    
    
• The Killer Whale
  There are many well known killer whales in the world. Killer whales are frequently featured in Hollywood movies as well as stars in many shows at water parks.
  
  
  • KEIKO the Killer Whale
    Keiko, the killer whale, whose name means "Lucky One" in Japanese, was captured in Iceland in 1979. Keiko was born near Iceland in 1977 and was captured by Jon Gunnarson in 1979 and then taken to Saedyrasfnid, an aquarium in Iceland. Three years later, he was purchased by the Marineland Theme Park in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
    
    
  • NAMU
    In 1965, while trying to catch salmon, fishermen caught Namu, a killer whale. By accident, Namu, a 24-foot long, 5-ton male killer whale was caught off Namu, British Columbia. The fishermen decided to sell Namu, the killer whale, alive to the first bidder.
    
    
  • SHAMU
    Shamu is the name Sea World uses for its many killer whales. It is made to be an icon of Sea World's greatest stars, the killer whales. Sea World has a show called The Shamu show which is the most popular show at Sea World.
    
    
• Facts on a Killer Whale
  Below are facts on a killer whale. Killer whales are fascinating creatures of the sea. Although, killer whales live in the sea, killer whales are mammals.
  
  
  • 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.
    
    
  • Orca Whales
    Orca is the name scientists prefer to call a killer whale. There are three different orca whales. These three orca whales groups seem to be different genetically, and with very different feeding habits. Not only, these different orcas do not interact socially, they seem to avoid contact with each other. The three orca populations are: Offshore orca Resident orca Transient orca
    
    
  • Identify Killer Whales
    Killer whales are extremely distinctive with jet-black bodies and white patches usually over the eyes, under the jaw, on the belly, and extending onto their sides.
    
    
  • 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 Food and Hunting
    Killer whales eat a wide variety of ocean life, including squid, octopus, fish, sea turtles, otters, penguins, seals and sea lions, manatees, dolphins, and whales. Some killer whales even eat blue whales.
    
    
  • Killer Whale Facts
    Killer Whale Facts Killer whales' scientific name is Orcinus orca. Many people call killer whales orcas. Each killer whale family has its own special language or dialect. Killer whales are natural acrobats and often leap right out of the water.