Interesting Orca Facts
Some fascinating facts about orcas:
Newborn orcas are 7-8 feet long, and weigh 3-400 lbs.
Adult females worldwide are 17-24 feet, 5-9,000 lbs.
Adult males worldwide are 20-28 feet, 8-12,000 lbs.
Southern resident adult male orcas are 21-24 feet.
Southern resident females are 18-21 feet.
Orcas have a 17-18 month gestation period.
Females usually have one calf every 3-5 years.
Males often die in their 30s but may live to 60.
Females may live to 80 or more.
Males begin to mature in their early teens, and are fully grown in their early 20s.
An adult orca consumes 150-200 pounds of food a day.
Southern Resident orcas rely on Chinook salmon for about 80% of their diet.
Adult orca brains weigh 14-16 pounds, or about 4-5 times the size of human brains.
Like all whales, orcas are voluntary breathers and need to be at least "half awake" at all times.
Orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family, or delphinidae.
Like all dolphins, orcas use sophisticated biological sonar, called echolocation.
Orcas are found throughout the world's oceans, but most prefer cooler, more productive polar and temperate waters.
Orcas can swim up to 30 mph and travel 75-100 miles or more per day.
Orcas have no predators.
Orcas live in matrilineal family groups, presumably led by elder matriarchs.
Two or more matrilines may form a pod.
The J, K and L pods which frequent Puget Sound are known as the Southern Resident community, or SRKW.
Both male and female offspring typically remain with their maternal family for life.
Genetic evidence indicates that mating occurs within cultural communities, which do not interbreed.
Each orca in the Southern Resident community is photographically identified each year by the shape of the dorsal fin, any nicks or scars, and the gray "saddle patch" behind and below the dorsal fin.
Several pods may belong to a clan that shares certain vocalizations; several clans may associate as a community.
A pod's or maternal family's unique repertoire of calls is called a dialect.
When pods of the same clan or community meet after separation, they often intermingle vigorously.
Communities do not associate or interact with other communities, and use different vocalizations even when sharing the same habitats.
Orcas are found throughout the world's oceans, but tend to prefer the cooler, more productive polar and temperate waters.
A wide variety of types and communities of orcas have been observed.
"Residents," eat fish; "Transients," eat mammals, and "offshores," found several miles from shore, eat mainly sharks.
Each other orca community worldwide has its own distinct diet and set of vocalizations.
