We have decided to do our web site on Orcas. A few of the things we plan to explain are feeding and mating habits, reproduction, and social structure.
Contrary to popular belief Orcas are not whales. They are actually a member of the dolphin family, but because of their size they are often thought of as whales. Male Orcas can grow to be between twenty seven and thirty two feet long. Females usually grow between twenty three and twenty eight feet. The (Orca) Killer Whale is jet-black with white and gray markings. The female and juvenile Orca can be confused with Risso's dolphin(the false killer whale)and Dall's Porpoise. The Orca can grow to a length of 7m(23 ft) and weigh 4-5,000 kg in the male and 6.6m (21 ft) 2.5-3,000 kg in the female. The Killer Whale is the largest member of the dolphin family. The head is conical-shaped. It has a beak with a white oval patch above and behind the eye. It's jaw is broad with few large conical teeth, 10-12 pairs in each jaw, and very powerful muscles to the rear of the upper jaw. The Orca's forelimbs are called pectoral flippers, and the bones under the skin of the flippers are similar to human hands. Pads of thick cartilage lie between each bone. Pectoral flippers are shaped like paddles, rounded at the tips, and flexible. The pectoral flippers help the Orca steer, along with its flukes, to stop. Blood circulation the flippers also helps to control its body temperature. Arteries in the flippers are surrounded by veins, which helps conserve its body heat by increasing circulation. Adult male pectoral flippers can reach 6.5 feet long and more than four feet wide. Orca are one of the fastest creatures in the sea reaching speeds of up to 30 mph.
The social unit is called a pod. A pod is an extended family between five and twenty members. Pods are formed by close-knit family members. Usually an Orca will stay in it’s pod all it’s life. Sometimes the larger groups split up into two or more smaller groups when population grows. Closely related pods often develop their own dialects. Whenever it happens that a pod separates into two groups it and forms a clan. The members of the pod usually stay together for life. The pod is a close knit family group and is stable from one generation to the next. When two or more pods come together the group is called a "superpod" and may have more than 150 whales.
