Today is WORLD ORCA DAY! Let’s celebrate with these “killer” facts about orcas.
With their distinct black-and-white marking and towering dorsal fin, orcas (also known as killer whales) are some of the most iconic marine animals on Earth. But there’s more to them beneath the surface. This World Orca Day, let’s celebrate properly by taking a look at all the amazing ways these seafaring mammals are unique.
Here are our some of our favorite facts about orcas:
- Killer whales aren’t actually whales. They are dolphins — and the largest species of them.
- Orcas are incredibly fast, reaching speeds up to 56 km/h (35 mph), allowing them to keep pace with boats. They are the second fastest marine mammal on Earth.
- How big are orcas? Almost the size of a bus! On average, adult orcas can be 5-8 meters (19-26 feet) long and weigh up to 4,000 kg (8,800 lbs). And an adult male’s dorsal fin can be 1.8 meters (6 ft) tall.
- From coastal to open waters — orcas inhabit every single ocean on Earth; they are second-most widespread animal in the world, behind humans. And their food preferences range depending on the region they habit. Southern Residents love Chinook salmon, whereas those of Antarctica prefer penguin.
- Orcas are ingenious hunters. Because they cannot smell, they utilize echolocation to find their prey and often plan coordinated attacks. Some swim sideways, then intentionally beach themselves to scare sea lions into the water. Others create a subsurface wave to break up large ice chunks to access their prey. They have learned to stun fish with their tails or by flipping over stingrays they put them into a sleep-like state (tonic immobility). And many have been known to play with their food.
- Orcas are matriarchal. The survival of a pod depends on the most skilled hunter: the grandmother. These matriarchs can live up to 80 years (most males only live for 30). One recently passed grandmother of a pod of orcas living in the Pacific Northwest was thought to be 105!
- Around the age of 40, a female orca will go through menopause. Because this phenomenon is incredibly rare in the natural world (orcas are one of the only animals to do so), it is thought to occur for evolutionary reasons — otherwise known as, the grandmother effect. The role these orcas play is thought to boost the life chances of offspring and grandchildren. And, based on more recent studies, they play a vital role in the development and protection of male orcas.
- Orcas have very large brains — weighing up to 15 pounds — and many of the same structures as humans. Because of this, scientists believe orcas have a high level of self-awareness, an ability to understand social relationships, and display empathy.
- Orcas have rich cultures. Each pod has their own set of unique calls, clicks, and whistles that are used to identify each other, communicate, and perceive their world. These languages go back generations, and differ dialectically between orca families.
- Beyond language, orcas display other tendencies of shared culture, including food preferences, friendships, and social fads.
- Orcas have shown signs of mourning. In 2018, an orca (identified as J35) carried her dead calf for 17 days, pushing it over 1,000 miles. It was the longest display of grief and mourning ever recorded by an orca.
- They have high cortical thickness, the area of the brain associated with memory, attention, language, thought and consciousness.
Despite their remarkable intelligence and adaptability, orcas are not immune to the impacts of human-driven activity. Overfishing, habitat destruction, and chemical pollution have led to population declines, causing some orca populations to become endangered.
Orcas need your help. This WORLD ORCA DAY, donate with VAKOVAKO to ensure the future of orcas, and our OCEANS, remains strong.
