Killer Whale Facts - Orca Information

Killer whales, also known as Orcas, are among the most feared predators in the ocean, and are often referred to as the wolves of the sea. This is in part due to their social nature and pack hunting, which they often employ to take down larger prey. Check out these killer whale facts to learn more about one of the largest predators on the Earth.

1. The killer whale is actually a member of the dolphin family, and is not a whale like commonly believed. As such, it is the largest known member of the family, and is able to reach a maximum weight of about ten tons, with a length of twenty to thirty feet. The orca is a very bulky animal, and is very heavy for its size, especially when compared to fish of similar length; the great white shark is a good example.

2. The name killer whale comes from the the orca's feeding pattern. Many pods tend to go after larger whales, drowning them over the course of several hours. In this way, the name is pretty literal: they kill whales. It is not uncommon for a pod of four or five orcas to kill a large whale many times their individual size. There is actually video footage of this happening, where they drown a gray whale calf.

3. There are two primary types of killer whiles: resident and transient. Transient orcas will travel up to a hundred miles a day, and are more likely to feed on marine mammals. On the contrary, resident orcas generally spend their time in one area, although their range can be up to a thousand miles. Resident killer whales are less likely to feed on marine mammals, but some definitely do. Some consider these to be two different subspecies of orca.

4. There are no known attacks of killers whales on people in the wild. They have actually been found to occasionally help people that are in trouble, although there is only anecdotal evidence of this. In captivity, killer whales may attack humans, but this is generally due to high stress levels or perceived playful behavior.

5. Killer whales can eat several hundred pounds of food a day, and can consume several pounds with just a single bite. Since they are warm blooded, they require significantly more food than their fish counterparts, but this also makes them more powerful and alert, which makes them superior predators.