Top 10 Facts About Orcas
Orcas are members of the dolphin family and are among the deadliest predators in the sea. These brutes are intelligent, observant, and keen hunters who rule our oceans.
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An adult orca is almost as big as a bus
Adult orcas are on average about as long as a small school bus (19 to 26 feet) and can weigh up to six tons.
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Orcas live in every ocean in the world
From the Arabian Sea to the Gulf of Mexico, from the coastal waters of Japan to the Atlantic Ocean, and from the Arctic waters to Antarctica, orcas can be found in every ocean in the world.
Their extremely wide range and unpredictable movements make it difficult to know the exact world population. It is thought to be more than 50,000 individuals.
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Orcas got their other name, "killer whale," from ancient sailors and fishermen
Orcas got their other name, "killer whale," because of how they actively hunt whales. Ancient sailors and fishermen saw these hunts and originally called them "whale killers." Over time, the name shifted to "killer whale."
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Orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family
Orcas are a type of toothed whale and the largest member of the dolphin family.
Dolphins are carnivores that eat fish, squid, and small crustaceans, and some orcas are among the few species that also hunt marine mammals.
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Orcas sleep with one eye open
Orca whales sleep by shutting down one half of the brain while the other stays awake, a form of sleep known as unihemispheric sleep.
Unlike humans, orcas need to remember to breathe, even when they are sleeping. So, one half of the brain rests while the other half stays alert to control breathing, which means one eye stays open.
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Orcas have an incredibly long gestation period
Orcas have one of the longest gestation periods of any animal on the planet. Killer whale pregnancies can last between 15 and 18 months.
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Orcas have a long lifespan
The average lifespan of female orcas is around 50 years, but there are examples of them reaching up to 90 years of age.
Males live up to 40 years.
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A baby orca is called a calf
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There are different types of orcas
Resident orcas, Bigg's orcas, Offshore orcas, North Atlantic Type 1 orca, and North Atlantic Type 2 orca are called "ecotypes."
Resident orcas are fish specialists, named so because they tend to have small home ranges around areas with large fish populations.
Another North Pacific ecotype is Bigg's, or transient, orcas. These are mammal-eating orcas, and like Residents, different communities of Bigg's orcas specialize in different prey - from harbor seals to minke whales to gray whale calves.
The third ecotype found in the North Pacific is the elusive Offshore orca. Little is known about them, as they live far from land, mainly over the outer continental shelf, and are rarely encountered. These are primary examples of orca types.
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Type A orca is the largest type of orca
These large orcas (up to 31 feet, or 9.5 m long) prefer the open areas of the Southern Ocean and primarily hunt minke whales, following their migration in and out of Antarctic waters.
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Orcas kill sharks
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A male orca's dorsal fin can be 6 feet tall
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Orcas have fads, like salmon hats
They wear dead salmon on their heads like hats occasionally, a fad similar to that of humans.
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Orcas are marine mammals
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Orcas belong to the sub-order of toothed whales