Top Killer Whale Facts
1. Killer whales are also called Orcas.
2. The name “killer whale” is being avoided by conservation organizations to avoid misinterpretations. They prefer to use orca.
3. Orcas are marine mammals. As mammals, they have warm blood and nurse their calves with milk from the mothers.
4. Mothers take care of the babies for at least 18 months.
5. A group of Orcas is called a pod.
6. Killer whales inhabit all oceans, but there are specific sub-populations in certain locations.
7. Killer whales are active communicators and the produce a wide variety of sounds.
8. The sounds used by each pod are different from other pods.
9. Largest Killer whales are up to ten meters (32.2 feet) long.
10. Male orcas average 6-8 meters (20-26 feet) long.
11. Female orcas average 5-7 meters (16-23 feet) long.
12. The average life expectancy of killer whales is 35 years, but in exceptional cases they can reach up to 50 years.
14. Killer whale diet includes fish, squid and marine mammals, but this varies according to the place they live.
15. Killer whales can swim up to 30 mph.
16. Killer whales need to breathe, so they continuously need to reach the surface for air.
17. The scientific name of killer whales is Orcinus orca. The name Orcinus comes from the Roman god orcus, master of the underworld.