Orcas are extremely popular for being the most widely distributed marine mammal in the world (other than humans). Orcas are actually dolphins! They are the largest member of the dolphin family!
If you didn't know, Orcinus Orca is the scientific name for “Killer Whales.” This type of species aren’t typically known for killing humans, but people chose their name to be “Killer Whales” for their power to take down large marine mammals.
Image Source: NOAA
Hunting for food
Orcas enjoy feeding on seabirds, squid, octopuses, sea turtles, sharks, rays, fish, seals, and many more. The only exceptions for orcas are manatees and river dolphins. A report indicates that orcas can eat moose, too.
Luckily, orcas don't fear predators because they have none! They are placed on the top of the food chain, making them almost fearless.
With all of these different kinds of foods for orcas, most of them are picky! Once an orca finds out what their family eats, it’s very unlikely for them to change diets.
Orcas have many techniques on hunting their prey. They would hunt in pods, using echolocation. Orcas use echolocation to hunt and communicate with each other. The orcas will make a sound wave that travels through the water until it hits an object. Then, the sound wave will bounce back to the orca, telling the exact location and size of the object.
Sleeping Beauty
Did you know that orcas sleep in a very different way from humans? As you may know, when a human goes to sleep, their breathing will continue automatically.
Though, if an orca sleeps, they will stop breathing and soon suffocate or drown. So, in order to sleep and still be conscious at the same time, an orca rests half of their brain and closes one of their eyes.
Orcas will alternate which side is sleeping so that they can get the rest that they need and not lose consciousness. When an orca is sleeping, they swim very slowly, close to the surface.
Habitat
Orcas can adapt to any type of environment and climate. They can live in the icy cold seas or nice and warm oceans near the equator. Orcas never stay in one place, they are constantly moving places. An orca is known for traveling long distances.
Orcas also travel in pods too. There are two types of pods; A resident pod is more gentle and prefers fish. Transient pods are a more fierce and aggressive pod, similar to wolf packs. Transient pods can take down big marine mammals together.
An Orcas Body
Orcas have fascinating bodies. A long, cylindrical body with black and white color. Orcas also have razor sharp teeth that can grow up to 4 inches long!
These giant creatures weich 6 tons, and their length is 23 to 32 feet. That’s almost as long as a school bus! The most humongous orca ever recorded was about 32 feet.
An orca is usually known for their dorsal fin (the fin on top of the animal). When an orca is born, their dorsal fin is flexible. Though, as the calf (the baby orca) ages, it stiffens.
Though, right behind the dorsal fin, there’s a fin patch of grey called the “saddle,” because it looks like a riding saddle!
Did you know that orcas are black and white for a reason? Their colors help camouflauge them by concealing their outline in the water.
Threats
Even though orcas are at the top of the food chain, they have a major threat: humans. People kill orcas for various reasons, except for food. Though, fisherman see them as a competition that must be killed to protect the fishes population. Chemicals, oil, and so on also are a massive threat to orcas.
Conclusion
Orcas are incredible creatures. Their ability to take down marine mammals is incredible. I hope that you have learned a lot more about orcas!
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