The Killer Whale

Order: Catacea
Family: Delphinidae
Size: Overall length, male up to 31 feet; female up to 23 feet
Weight: Male, 8 tons; female 4 tons
Number of Young: 1 every 2 years
Size at birth: Length 7 to 8 feet; weight, 400 pounds

The killer whale is the largest of all whales. Its appearance is very distinctive, thereby making it almost impossible to confuse with other species. It has roundish head, with a blunt snout and no distinct rostrum; the trunk of its body is very powerfully built and surmounted by a high dorsal fin. Its black and white markings are also highly distinctive. It has 40 to 56 very strong conical teeth, which are up to 4 Inch leangth and 1 to 2 inch diameter at the level of the gums.

Killer whales are found in all seas of the world, most frequently in the waters of the Arctic and Antarctica. They do not normally migrate to any noticeable degree, remaining in fairly definite areas, except in high latitiudes, where their seasonal movement can sometimes cover vast distances, following changes in the icecap. They are also found in tropical and equatorial waters and sometimes, albeit very infrequently, in the Mediterranean as well. They normally stay in groups of about 10 to 15. This consist of of family units; a large male, females with young, and juveniles and sexually immature individuals of both sexes.

The killer whale is capable of achieving some speeds of up to 30mph and beyond, and of diving to depths of more that 3,300 ft. for periods of even longer than 20 minutes.

The killer whale has a variety of prey. Its diet includes seals, sea-lions, small and large ceteaceans, penguins, turtles, fish of varying size and species, ranging from herring to salmon and sharks, and also octopus and squid. Except for man the killer whale has no enemies in the sea.

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