More interesting facts
Killer whales are very social animals and travel in groups called pods. They communicate with each other by producing sounds such as squeals, screams and squawks. Their daily routine includes foraging, travelling, resting and socialising.
Orcas are very active animals and will display a wide variety of behaviours such as tail slapping, breaching, flipper slapping and spyhopping. Spyhopping is when whales raise their heads high above the water so they can get a better look at their surroundings.
Pods can vary in size from 5 to 40 individuals. Groups of orcas will work together when hunting their prey and often force animals such as fish into one area so they are easier to attack.
Orcas in captivity
Killer whales are held in captivity by humans, often for breeding or performance purposes. Since 1977, seventy orcas have been born in captivity around the world.
Only a handful of wild-caught orcas have lived past the age of 30.
Killer whales have the second-largest brain of any animal on the planet. They are highly intelligent and travel long distances in the ocean, diving 100 to 500 feet, several times a day.
Limited space in pools, stress and warmer water temperature can cause an orca's fin to collapse over.
Orcas in captivity are not able to escape conflict with other orcas and can't engage in natural swimming behaviours in pools, like socialising and foraging for food. Scientists say orcas in captivity usually only live up to 25 years.
Did you know?
- Killer whales use echolocation to locate and discriminate objects.
- Killer whales can weigh up to 5,400 kg.
- Killer whales can reach speeds of up to 30 mph.
- A killer whale's tail is called a fluke.
- Orcas can live for up to 90 years in the wild.
- Orcas have no predators except humans.
- The scientific name for a killer whale is Orcinus orca.
