KILLER WHALES

BASIC INFORMATION Classification: Order Cetacea, suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales) Family Delphinidae (dolphins) Orcinus orca = killer whale Distribution ▫found in all oceans, all habitats Population ▫No longer endangered (due in large part to Shamu)

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Males can range anywhere from ft., weigh 8,000-12,000 lbs. Females can range from ft., weighing 3,000-8,000 lbs.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Have countershading = dark coloration on the dorsal side, light coloration on the ventral side Countershading is a form of camouflage Have disruptive coloration Disruptive coloration are the white and gray patches on their bodies that break up their body shape (so they don’t look like a black torpedo) Disruptive coloration also acts as a form of camouflage

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Dorsal fin is made of connective tissue Stabilizes the whale as it swims Keeps the whale from spinning Can reach heights of 6 ft. in males, 4 ft. in females

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Head has conical shaped teeth used for grasping prey DO NOT CHEW! Rip tear and swallow their prey whole Killer whale and elephant seal

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Breathe through a single blowhole located near the top of their head It is like their nose; it leads directly to their lungs When relaxed, it is closed; they must come to the surface to breathe

KILLER WHALE SENSES Well-developed sense of hearing Smell is completely absent in all whales Sound production is made for two reasons: communication and navigation Communication: Squeeze area called nasal sacs (located behind the blowhole) to make whistles and squeaks (known as calls) Pods share the same calls Scientists can distinguish between pods based on these calls Mothers and calves can distinguish each other based on their calls

KILLER WHALE SENSES Navigation used for echolocation Echolocation is the ability to find and discriminate objects by listening to their echoes Produce clicks through nasal sacs that travel and are amplified by the melon (which is filled with fats) Sounds travel as a beam into the water ▫~1 mile/second = 4.5 times faster than air Sounds bounce off objects and return to the whale as an echo

KILLER WHALE SENSES Echo passes through fat-filled lower jaw Then passes to the inner ear then the brain where it is interpreted They can interpret size, shape, speed, distance and direction of an object Outgoing sound Incoming echo Melon

BEHAVIOR Live in groups called pods Pods are long-term social units Usually consist of a dominant female, her sisters and aunts, etc. and their calves Adult males usually travel together Killer whales often hunt together Are the top predators Eat fish, seals, sea lions, sea birds, baleen whales, penguins Are considered to be opportunistic feeders

BEHAVIOR

REPRODUCTION Gestation is 17 months Calves are born throughout the year Give birth approximately every 5 years Give birth usually to one calf at a time (two calves can happen) Calf is about 8 ft. long, lbs. (about the size of a fully grown bottlenose dolphin) May nurse for 12 months

REPRODUCTION