Killer Whale or Orca
(Orcinus orca)

Orcas, more commonly known as killer whales, are actually the largest members of the dolphin family.

Habitat
More common in high latitudes and cold waters, such as the Arctic and Antarctic. Generally prefer deep water, though often seen in shallow bays and estuaries.

Range
One of the most widely distributed mammals on earth; found in all the oceans of the world. Common around the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island.

Eats
Fish, squid, seabirds, turtles, sea lions, seals and other cetaceans. Northeastern Pacific orcas are divided into three categories: residents, transients and offshores. Transients eat primarily marine mammals, while residents eat fish almost exclusively. Food habits of offshores are less known, though believed to be primarily fish eaters.

Feeds
Cooperate to corral tight balls of baitfish as well as pursue large prey, easily gripped by interlocking, sharply pointed teeth in both upper and lower jaws. Eat about 5% of their bodyweight (a robust 8,400-12,0000 pounds) daily.

Moves
Propel themselves through the water at great speeds with large, paddle-like flippers and muscular tails. The 1958 record holder is a male timed at 34.5 miles per hour. True to their acrobatic dolphin status, they breach, lobtail, flipper-slap and spy-hop.

Behavior
Residents of the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island form large family groups, or pods. The largest reported contains nearly 60 individuals. Pods greet one another by facing off in two tight lines, then mingling as though at a social gathering.

Reproduction
In resident populations off Washington and British Columbia, calving occurs year-around, peaking between autumn and spring. Average calving interval is two to five years.

Lifespan
Males average 35 years, maximum 50-60 years. Females average 50 years, maximum 80-90 years. In captivity, range from 5-20 years.

Threats
Boat traffic, environmental contaminants, hunting/whaling, habitat loss, noise pollution, prey depletion, captivity.

Notes
At six feet high, a male's dorsal fin is the tallest in the sea. Researchers use the dorsal fins and saddle-patches (the patch behind the dorsal fin) to identify individual orcas. No two fins or patches are exactly the same due to nicks, scars and a variance in size, shape and pattern.

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Marine Mammals List