Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Sub-Phylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacean
Sub-Order: Odontoceti
Family: Delphinidae
Sub-Family: Orcininae or Globicephalinae
Genus: Orcinus
Species: Orca
Latin name: Orcinus Orca
Average size:
~ Male: 6.7m~ Female: 5.8m
Maximum size: ~ Male: 9.7m
~ Female: 8.5m
Average weight: ~ Male: 4000kg
~ Female: 2750kg
Dorsal fin height: ~ Male: 1.8m
~ Female: 0.9m
Length at birth: ~ Male: 2.1m
~ Female: 2.1m
Gestation: 15 months
Age at maturity: ~ Male: 21 years
~ Female: 15 years
Longevity: ~ Male: 50-60 years
~ Female: 80 or more
Introduction
Killer Whale; Orca Dolphin; Blackfish; Grampus; Great Killer Whale, call them whatever you want but an Orca is really not a whale but the largest member of the dolphin family. An Orca is also commonly known as a Killer Whale, which confuses many people into thinking it is a whale because the name has "Whale" in it. The Killer Whale was first named "Whale-Killer" as sailors, from hundreds-of-years ago, witnessed a pod of Orcas take down a whale 3 times their own size! Over that time the name was reversed to Killer Whale.
Orcas live in families called pods. Female orcas live with there mothers for the
rest of their lives! Orcas have very social lives and every day they travel many
kilometers
Transients, Residents and Offshore
There are 3 sub-species of Orca: Resident, Transient and Offshore. Not a lot is known about Offshores. A Residents diet is based on fish and squid whilst a Transients preys upon Seals, Birds, Sharks, Dolphins, Porpoises, and Gray Whales. An Offshores diet is unknown but it is thought that it is similar to a Residents.
Behaviours
Breaching Porpoising Spyhopping
Tail-Lobbing Pec Slapping
© Sherie
Hurdle, Friend Of The Orcas 30/08/2003-2004
Dedicated to Keiko, Algonquin and Nyar
Page Last Edited 4th April, 2004