Where killer whales are found. Biology of killer whale. stocky dark body

killer whale- one of the brightest and most mysterious marine mammals of the globe with an extremely controversial reputation. Some people consider him a giant dolphin with a kind soul and a high level of intelligence, others consider him a dangerous and cruel predator, capable of killing not only for the purpose of food, but also as a manifestation of aggression. Both versions are partly true, the behavior and character of the killer whale are due to many reasons - from the conditions of origin of the species to the diet.

Origin of the species and description

The first mention of this mammal was made at the beginning of the first millennium of our era. Killer whales are introduced into the system of classification of wild animals of the planet by the largest encyclopedic work of antiquity called "Natural History", authored by Pliny the Elder. The scientific name of the killer whale has been changed more than once, it acquired its modern look towards the end of the 18th century, and to this day its Latin version sounds like Orcinus orca.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia and other dictionaries recognize two equally-used names in Russian - “killer whale” and “killer whale”. The most reasonable is the second option, formed from the word "spit", which characterizes the shape of the dorsal fin of the animal. However, in Russian-speaking scientific circles, the first option is more common and common.

Video: Killer whale

The severe nickname - the killer whale - was received by the killer whale to a greater extent due to the many bloody stories and legends retold and embellished for greater interest by storytellers. Cinematography did not stand aside either, creating in its films the image of a cruel and merciless predator capable of attacking not only large marine life, but also humans.

If we turn to the scientific sources of the origin of this mammal, then we can really find that it belongs to the order of cetaceans, the suborder of toothed whales. But the decisive role in the classification of the killer whale is played by its assignment to the dolphin family, which determines the lifestyle and most of the addictions and habits of these animals. That is, the killer whale is the largest carnivorous dolphin with the habits of a real predator.

Appearance and features

The killer whale, being a representative of the dolphin family, has the outlines of the body inherent in animals of this species, but significantly exceeds its relatives in size and has a black and white color.

In its most common form, which is familiar to most people, killer whales have black back and sides, white spots around the throat and above the eyes, and a white longitudinal stripe along the belly. However, in certain areas of the Pacific Ocean there are individuals of a single color - black or white. But such options are rare.

Interesting fact: The location, size of white spots on the body of each individual is unique, akin to human fingerprints, this is a sure sign to identify an individual by individual characteristics.

Killer whale males are one and a half to two times larger than females, reaching ten meters in length and weighing about eight tons. The impressive size and the presence of powerful jaws with two rows of razor-sharp teeth 13-15 centimeters long make these predators ideal hunters capable of catching prey that exceeds their own weight.

In addition to practical benefits, the outstanding hunting data of killer whales give rise to many myths about their amazing bloodthirstiness. According to scientists and experts involved in the study of the life of these animals, most of these stories are ordinary fiction.

Another significant difference between a killer whale and a simple dolphin is the dorsal fin, which is significantly protruding above the contour of the body, reaching a height of one and a half to two meters in males. Cutting water at a speed of about 55 km / h, it terrifies with its impressive size. The fins of females are less intimidating and half as long as those of males. The tails of killer whales are equipped with powerful horizontal fins.

Where does the killer whale live?

All killer whale habitats have long been studied and listed in many reference books and encyclopedias. Thanks to the active social life of killer whales, it is not difficult to get an idea of their distribution in the waters of the oceans.

Since the menu of these predators is wide and varied, they find their food everywhere - from tropical waters to polar ice. True, killer whales are much less common in the tropics than in cold and temperate waters. This is explained by the same food preferences and the choice of the most comfortable environment for living.

Interesting fact: For the waters of Russia, the killer whale is a rather rare inhabitant. Small populations are found in the Mediterranean, White, Bering Seas, but the Azov and Black Seas are free from the presence of killer whales.

For their comfortable living, these animals choose areas that are convenient for hunting, with enough potential food. Therefore, they are less common in open waters than near the coast. The most active strip of their habitat is about 800 km of coastal waters.

What does a killer whale eat?

The diet of killer whales is perhaps the most interesting when it comes to these predators. The natural physical data of killer whales, acquired in the process of evolution, allow them to hunt even the largest representatives of warm-blooded animals that can only be found in the oceans. The killer whale's hunting instinct has honed its skills to perfection. They sneak up on their victims quietly and imperceptibly.

Scottish researcher Erich Hoyt systematized the available data and found out that the diet of killer whales includes:

31 species of fish;
9 bird species;
2 types of cephalopods;
1 type of turtle;
sea otter.

When there is enough food, killer whales are quite friendly towards their fellows and get along well with other cetaceans in the same territory. But in the case of a poor diet, hungry killer whales attack others, pinnipeds and whales without hesitation. Moreover, the size of the prey does not matter: killer whales pounce on large prey with the whole flock.

These giants require 50 to 150 kg of food daily. Each large family of killer whales has certain taste preferences. Some prefer pinnipeds, others - penguins and seabirds, others hunt for shoals of herring.

Interesting fact: Killer whales can look out of the water in search of food.

When hunting, killer whales act in a coordinated and cold-blooded way, not trying to snatch a larger personal piece. Watching their actions, you can trace a certain strategy. Knowing that herring shoals tend to huddle, killer whales drive them into a kind of ball, and then stun the fish with numerous blows of powerful tails. After such actions, the members of the flock can only absorb the immobilized fish floating to the surface of the water.

No less interesting is the strategy of killer whale hunting for seals or fur seals. If the pinnipeds are located on a small iceberg, then the killer whales bring down a series of powerful head blows on the ice floe, simply dropping their prey into the water. Moreover, they can throw their own body onto the ice floe and, sliding along its surface with their belly, catch penguins and pinnipeds right on their own territory.

If for dinner the orcas caught a whale or other large prey that cannot be killed with one blow, the killer whales exhaust the victim with a continuous attack from different sides, tear out pieces of meat, bite into the skin and fins until the resistance runs out. The chances of getting away alive from a hungry flock are almost zero.

But a man, contrary to popular belief, is not an attractive food for killer whales. All attacks on people were committed either by wounded animals or were in self-defense.

Features of character and lifestyle

Killer whales live in packs, each of which has its own hunting traditions, social structure and certain food preferences. These fundamental life characteristics are due to the fact that in some areas killer whales are divided into separate forms. For example, Pacific killer whales are divided by research scientists into two groups: resident and transit killer whales. In nature, representatives of these groups do not communicate with each other and do not mate, although they can often be found in the same territories.

Resident killer whales, or, as they are also called, homebody killer whales, feed mainly on fish and only in rare cases prey on pinnipeds. This type of killer whale, with its behavior and hunting strategy, does not justify the nickname of killer whales. They gather in groups of 12-15 individuals and, lining up in a column or line, track down schools of fish. At the same time, orientation in space and the search for prey occur due to active echolocation.

Transiting killer whales on the hunt behave extremely quietly and orient themselves only by passively listening to the noise of the ocean, since potential prey can easily hear their “call signs”. These killer whales are real killers. They hunt in groups of 3-5 individuals, and their diet is much more diverse than that of resident relatives:

dolphins;
whales;
all kinds of pinnipeds;
sea otters;
sea birds;
penguins.

Interesting fact:“There are cases when killer whales attacked deer and elk swimming across small channels.”

Social structure and reproduction

Killer whales are very social and actively interact with each other. In the course of the evolution of the species, a behavioral pattern of group food prey has developed, which is a determining factor in the formation of the social organization of killer whales. Its basis is the maternal group, which includes an adult female and her offspring of different sexes. Such groups include about 18 individuals who are blood relatives. Sometimes a male can also lead a flock, but such cases are very rare, strict matriarchy reigns in killer whale families.

Each flock has characteristic signals for communicating with each other, the so-called dialect, which indicates belonging to a particular group. Inside the flock, killer whales are very attached to each other and friendly. If conflicts arise between them, they usually end with an angry pat on the water with their fins or tail. Killer whales carefully treat old individuals and young animals.

For successful hunting and other social interactions, packs can exchange group members among themselves. It is believed that it is during such periods that mating of individuals occurs, which ensures the mixing of blood.

With an average life expectancy of 75-100 years, puberty in females occurs at approximately 12-14 years, the reproductive period continues until they reach the age of 40. Males live less, averaging about 50 years.

Interesting fact: The lifespan of killer whales in captivity is reduced by several times compared to the lifespan of individuals in their natural habitat.

The gestation period for female killer whales has not been precisely established, but it is approximately 16-17 months. Cubs are born with a frequency of approximately 5 years, and the minimum period between their birth is 2 years. In a lifetime, a female can have up to six cubs.

Natural enemies of killer whales

Nature endowed the killer whale with a powerful intellect, which, successfully developing in the process of evolution, placed it at the top of the food chain of marine wildlife. Few of the marine inhabitants dare to repulse this mighty predator, therefore, in natural habitats, the killer whale has practically no enemies.

The exception is humpback whales, which have been seen more than once in actions that interfere with the hunting of killer whales. They almost always come into contact with carnivores and very rarely with piscivores. There are cases when humpback whales are the first to approach killer whales during their hunt for other cetaceans or pinnipeds, but more often they protect their cubs or young humpback whales from the attack of hungry predators. These giants have long and very mobile fins, which, overgrown with mollusks, can be quite a dangerous weapon.

Interesting fact: Humpback whales are the only representatives of the marine animal world that can put killer whales to flight.

The nature of the confrontation between killer whales and humpback whales has not been fully studied. Some researchers believe that a certain form of altruism takes place here, which is often found in wildlife, when animals rush to protect not only their relatives, but also representatives of another species.

According to another version, humpback whales react to the vocalization of killer whales. And although carnivorous individuals are rather silent, but during the attack or immediately after it, they are quite actively talking to each other. Perhaps these "talks" attract the attention of whales. In any of the cases, a simple instinct works in humpback whales: if killer whales attack someone nearby, you need to intervene.

Killer whales maintain parity in relations with tiger sharks, sperm whales and ... people, considering them capable of inflicting serious injuries in the event of a conflict.

Population and species status

Killer whales are widely distributed in the oceans, but the status of most of their populations is unknown. All are protected under the International Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

The factors causing killer whale population declines are not well known and it is likely that research will continue until more information becomes available on what needs to be done to reverse this trend.

Here are just a few of the possible reasons:

a decrease in the quantity and quality of food obtained by animals;
persistent pollutants of the hydrosphere that cause dysfunction of the immune or reproductive systems;
oil spills;
noise and interference from ships that interfere with natural echolocation.

killer whale endowed with perfect intelligence for survival, but due to the global negative impact of man on the ecosystem of the oceans, the population was on the verge of extinction. Many research groups, scientists, environmental institutes came to the defense of this unique powerful marine mammal. In their activities, they are trying to find effective ways to preserve the number of killer whales and prevent them from disappearing from the surface of the Earth.

The killer whale is the only representative of the genus, since its other species have already disappeared, and their remains are at the bottom of the ocean. The people called the animal "killer whale", because it is distinguished by extreme cruelty towards its victim. The exact population size is unknown, but killer whale hunting is prohibited.

It is impossible to say with certainty that killer whales are whales or dolphins. They belong to the animal kingdom, cetacean order and dolphin family. Some people call mammals killer whales, others - big dolphins, because their description resembles these representatives of the deep sea. The animal looks like a big dolphin, but differs significantly from it in character.

The length of the killer whale reaches 10 meters, which makes it one of the largest representatives of the deep sea. The size of females is somewhat smaller - 8-9 m. The weight of a killer whale sometimes exceeds 8 tons. Another difference in the structure of males and females is the upper fin. In the former, it reaches 150 cm in length and is located straight, in the latter it is almost half as long and somewhat curved.

The head of a mammal is short and small, the skull is flattened, the eyes are small. The jaw is very strong, has fangs 13 cm long, necessary for the rapid tearing of various prey. The classic color of the killer whale includes only 2 colors- black and white. There is always a white stripe on the belly. Some individuals have areas of different shades of black on the body.

Sometimes in nature you can meet completely black or white killer whales. Their skeletal structure is almost the same as dolphins, the body is dense, not stretched and very strong. The brain has the same sections as those of dolphins. The sense organs of a predatory mammal are very well developed, which allows them to find prey at a great distance.

The distribution range of killer whales is quite extensive, since they can be found almost anywhere in the world's oceans. Usually they prefer cold waters, so there are especially a lot of them off the coast of Chile and Alaska. In these places there is a large number of small and large fish, which serves as a source of food for mammals.

Killer whales are not found in the Black and Azov Seas. They are rarely found in tropical waters, but with a lack of food they can migrate far from their usual habitat. Usually animals try to live closer to the shore, where they can freely feed on small prey.

Lifestyle and hunting

Killer whales are predators, like sharks, they actively hunt for prey of various sizes. Experts have found that some populations feed exclusively on herring and migrate after it to other water bodies. Individual flocks prey on pinnipeds. During a long observation of the behavior of mammals, scientists noted that some families constantly travel in search of food, while others live in one place almost all their lives.

The life expectancy of males in natural conditions is no more than 30 years, and females can live up to 50 years. There are some features of hunting killer whales:

The killer whale in the oceans is at the top of the food chain and has almost no rivals. When hunting for small prey, individuals act independently, they do not need the help of a flock.
If it is necessary to kill a large fish or an animal, the flock acts together, surrounds the prey, at the same time trying to narrow the impromptu ring as much as possible. Each member of the pack has a specific role. Animals transmit special signals to each other.
The flock usually includes up to 15 individuals. If it is necessary to drive a school of fish, everyone works, but up to 5 killer whales are required to hunt pinnipeds.
Often, animals are washed ashore, where elephant seals or seals can be attacked.
In cold waters where penguins swim on ice floes, killer whale flocks can turn over a block to get prey.
Often predators attack whales. It is not so easy to catch large prey, so several males are involved in the operation. Usually they surround the whale and try to tire it out, keep up and swim close. Each male tries to tear off a piece of meat from prey on the go. After a few bites, the victim stops fighting and gives up. There are times when whales win and manage to fight back or protect their offspring.

The only representative of the depths that mammals try to avoid is the male sperm whale. It is very aggressive and can cause significant harm. But killer whales sometimes attack female sperm whales.

Reproduction features

Each flock consists of the main female and her cubs of different ages. Within the family, there is a way of communicating that is different from other groups. Relations between members of the same flock are very friendly and warm, the manifestation of aggression occurs in exceptional cases.

There is not enough information about the reproduction of mammalian predators. It is only known that the female can reproduce up to six cubs throughout her life. Reproduction has several stages:

Sexual maturity occurs at 12 years of age. The breeding season is at the end of summer and beginning of autumn.
Carrying a baby lasts from 15 to 17 months.
A newborn cub has a body length of about 270 cm; after birth, it stays near its mother for several years, and feeds on mother's milk for some time.
At the age of 40, females stop mating because, like women, they go through menopause.

After that, individuals live for about 10 years. Even with the loss of the ability to conceive, the female remains in the family. No matter how sick and weak they are, the members of the flock do not leave her, help her move and eat, and protect her from other large predators.

Relationship with a person

In 1982, the trapping of killer whales was prohibited by law. But this ban does not apply to their catch for scientific research. Under natural conditions, the mammal does not show fear of humans. If a person does not try to harm, it does not attack, so no such cases have been recorded.

The relationship between killer whales and humans is somewhat different when animals are kept in captivity. They often become aggressive, can attack the trainer. A case has been recorded where the attack resulted in a fatal outcome. Keeping killer whales in captivity is now prohibited because it cuts their lifespan by almost half.

A few years ago, killer whales were used for shows in various shows, but their training is extremely difficult, and the danger is high. Animals become irritable, refuse food, lose weight, and can attack not only humans, but also their fellows.

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About the killer whale.

Many watched the movie “Free Willy” as a child, where the main characters were the killer whale and the boy Jesse. The plot of the film shows a lot of situations from which the animal emerges with extraordinary ease, which testifies to the intelligence of this marvelous mammal.

It is also impossible to argue with the fact that the killer whale is one of the most beautiful animals now living on Earth.

The killer whale is a mammal from the dolphin family, presented in only one form. According to paleontologists, a second species also existed on Earth earlier, its remains were discovered many years ago.

Outwardly, killer whales are similar to their relatives - dolphins, but still differ from them in many ways. The most expressive feature of killer whales is their contrasting color - a black body with white spots. The spots are usually located on the abdomen and above the eyes. At the same time, the pattern and shape of the spots can be so individual that they, like fingerprints, can be used to identify an individual. The size of killer whales is also impressive - adult males can reach 10 m in length.

The back of these dolphins is decorated with a fin. In males, it is straight and sharp, looking up, while in females it is slightly curved to the side. Despite the fact that the black and white color is considered traditional for these whales, in some areas pure black melanistic killer whales or completely white albino killer whales are found.

Killer whales live almost all over the globe, they survive equally well in both warm and cold currents. True, they are completely absent in the Black, East Siberian and Azov Seas, as well as in the Laptev Sea. They are known to prefer cold waters, as killer whales are extremely rare in the tropics.

These animals are rather voracious predators. The basis of their diet is gregarious species of fish, but sometimes a gaping seal, fur seal or sea lion can get into the mouth of killer whales. As for people, there have been no recorded cases of killer whale attacks on representatives of the human race (at least in the wild).

Biologists distinguish two main varieties of killer whales - resident and transit. Representatives of the first variety are homebodies. Their diet is fish and small marine animals. Usually they lead a settled way of life, migrating only to the spawning grounds of salmon fish species.

Transit killer whales are dangerous predators. It is "thanks" to them that killer whales are called killer whales. After all, sperm whales and even terrestrial animals very often become their victims (there are known cases of attacks on herds of elks crossing the reservoir).

The social structure of killer whales is also quite an interesting phenomenon. The entire flock is led by one family group. The group is headed by the largest and strongest female with cubs and young individuals. The rest of the flock is also divided into families under the leadership of daughters or other relatives of the dominant female.

Usually, all families live separately, but may unite in large groups for hunting or breeding. Within the same family, there are peculiarities in sound communication, which are understood only by members of this group. In addition to group sounds, killer whales also use generally accepted ones. It is also interesting that young individuals very carefully take care of old, injured or sick relatives.

Pregnancy in killer whales lasts an average of one and a half years (although this has not been fully studied). In her entire life, a female can give birth to 5 to 8 cubs, and after forty years she loses her childbearing ability. The age of killer whales ranges from 35 to 40 years in males, and in females - from 50 to 60 years. True, there were also much older individuals.

Designated a certain predator, which could be both a killer whale and a sperm whale. English name killer whale("killer whale") killer whale received because of its reputation as a dangerous predator.

The Russian name, presumably, comes from the word "braid", which is reminiscent of the high dorsal fin of males. The spelling "killer whale" is common, but it is not used in special zoological literature.

Description of the species can be found in the tenth edition Systema Naturae Carl Linnaeus under the name Delphinus orca Linnaeus, 1758. The scientific name of the genus changed several times before arriving at the modern stable variant Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758). The obsolete name Orca Gray, 1846 is the most common. It was rejected as a junior homonym of the name Orca Wagler, 1830, proposed for another genus of dolphins (now Hyperoodon Lacépède, 1804) and replaced by the oldest suitable synonym: Orcinus Fitzinger, 1860.

The dorsal fin of a male killer whale is long and straight.

Appearance

Killer whales are the largest carnivorous dolphins; differ from other dolphins in a contrasting black and white color. Killer whales are characterized by sexual dimorphism: males reach a length of 9-10 with a weight of up to 8, females - 7 m with a weight of up to 4 tons. In addition, the dorsal fin in males is high (up to 1.5 m) and almost straight, while in females - about twice as low and bent. Unlike most dolphins, the killer whale's pectoral flippers are not pointed and crescent-shaped, but wide and oval. The head is short, flattened from above, without a beak; teeth are massive, up to 13 cm long, adapted to tearing large prey.

Killer whale skull.

The color of the back and sides of the killer whale is black, the throat is white, and there is a white longitudinal stripe on the belly. In some forms of Antarctic killer whales, the back is darker than the sides. On the back, behind the dorsal fin, there is a gray saddle-shaped spot. Above each eye there is a white spot. In the waters of the Arctic and Antarctic, white spots may acquire a yellowish-greenish or brown tint due to the film of diatoms covering them. The shape of the spots in killer whales is so individual that it allows you to identify individual individuals. In addition, completely black (melanistic) and white (albino) individuals are found in the North Pacific.

Spreading

Killer whale off the coast of Norway.

The killer whale is distributed almost throughout the World Ocean, meeting both near the coast and in open waters, but mainly adheres to 800 km of the coastal strip. It does not enter only the Black, East Siberian and Laptev Seas. It is less common in the tropics than in cold and temperate waters. In Russia, it is common near the Kuril Ridge and the Commander Islands.

Lifestyle and nutrition

Killer whales do not attack a person, but they do not show fear in front of him. All reliable cases of killer whale attacks on humans in nature were committed by defending, injured or otherwise provoked individuals. Among the large predators, the killer whale is the most friendly animal towards humans. In captivity, they are peaceful, quickly get used to a person and are easy to train, and under favorable conditions they breed. Usually killer whales do not show aggression towards dolphins and seals kept together with her in the same pool, as well as towards humans. They become irritable and aggressive only during the breeding season.

The killer whale is a mammal which belongs to the dolphin family. There is often confusion between killer whale and killer whale. killer whale- they call the bird, but killer whale is a whale.

Traditionally, the word “killer whale” is used in the spoken language, but this is not absolutely wrong. That's right - a killer whale, since the very name of this animal was formed because the dorsal fin of males resembles a scythe in outline, and the animal itself, alas, has long earned a reputation as a killer whale.

It is one of the most feared and dangerous predators and is on the same level, if not higher, than the white shark. Aggressive and unpredictable.

Where do killer whales live?

The killer whale lives in almost all oceans from the Arctic to the Antarctic. In the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, killer whales are found everywhere from Svalbard to Antarctica. Often swims in the Mediterranean Sea. Killer whales live in the waters of the Indian Ocean right up to Australia. In summer, they even swim beyond the Arctic Circle into Antarctic waters.

Discontinuously distributed in the Arctic seas. So killer whales are found in the Barents, White and Kara (western and northwestern parts) Seas, absolutely not meeting in the Laptev Sea and in the East Siberian Sea. Killer whales also live in the Far East in the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea near the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril and Commander Islands. Most often in these places killer whales can be found near the rookeries of sea lions and seals in the Avachinsky and Olyutorsky bays.

Description

The head of killer whales is wide, slightly flattened, has a moderate size, and is also provided with very strong chewing muscles, which provide a powerful bite. They have a low fronto-nasal pillow and no beak.

The animal has enlarged fins, especially the dorsal one: in males it is a narrow isosceles triangle, about 155-165 cm high, and the dorsal fin of females is slightly cut from the rear edge and usually does not exceed 100 cm. The pectoral fins are oval in shape and very wide .

As mentioned earlier, killer whale habitats are quite numerous and diverse, but their most favorite place is considered to be the southwestern coast of Alaska, namely the Prince William Sound. On average, about 10 flocks live there, where their total number can reach 180 individuals. Some killer whales can be there throughout the summer season, while others come for a short time.

The upper and lateral parts of the body of the animal are painted black, there are white oval spots above the eyes, in males a white spot can be observed behind the dorsal fin. The white color of the throat smoothly turns into a narrow strip that runs in the middle of the abdominal zone, and then expands into three stripes behind the navel: the two extreme ones end in the lateral zones of the caudal peduncle, and the middle one - behind the anus.

As for the killer whale's teeth, they are very massive, have a flattened structure, and if we consider them in cross section, their roots have a quadrangular shape. Above and below you can count 10-13 pairs. In diameter, the thickness of the largest teeth is 3-5 cm, and the height is 13-14 cm. The killer whale's teeth are fixed in the jaws so firmly that it can easily hold and tear even very large prey.

Kinds

Killer whales are generally referred to by English-speaking scientists as "killer whales", although the term "killer whale" is increasingly being used. Genus name Orcinus means "realm of the dead". The term "killer whale" also avoids negative associations with "killers", especially since the species is more associated with dolphins than with whales.

There are 3-5 types of killer whales, which can be different enough to be separated into separate subspecies or even species. In 2008, the IUCN stated that "the taxonomy of the genus needs to be reviewed and it is likely that the killer whale genus will be divided into several species or subspecies within a few years."

Research off the west coast of the United States and Canada identified the following 3 ecotypes:

settled- most often of all groups are observed in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean, feed mainly on fish and squid. Females have a rounded tip of the dorsal fin. Killer whales knock down the discovered school of fish into a ball on the surface of the water, drown the fish with their tails and dive into the center of the school one by one. In fairness, it should be noted that these homebodies, or resident killer whales, do not at all correspond to the nickname of killer whales. Their behavior and way of feeding is reminiscent of humpback whales.
nomadic- The diet of this group consists exclusively of marine mammals. Such killer whales live in small (from 2 to 6 individuals) groups, females are characterized by triangular dorsal fins, near which there is often a gray or white area. They move widely along the west coast of the US and Canada; they were also met in southern Alaska and California. There is evidence that killer whales attack deer and elk that swim across small channels. An interesting observation: killer whale bite marks were found in half of the examined fin whales, sei whales and 65% of sperm whales. Imagine - every second sperm whale in his life was attacked by a killer whale.

Transiting killer whales congregate in smaller groups compared to stay-at-homes. The group consists of 3 - 5 individuals. A distinctive feature of such a group is its "silence", as mammals hunted by killer whales can hear their voices.

migratory– these killer whales are characterized by long-distance migrations, they swim far from the coast. They feed mainly on fish, but are able to eat mammals and sharks. They are mainly found off the west coast of Vancouver Island and near the Queen Charlotte Islands. Migrating killer whales gather in groups of 20–75, sometimes up to 200 individuals.

Lifestyle

Killer whales are kept in family herds, consisting of 5-20 animals. Small groups are usually formed by one adult male with a female and cubs. Large herds include 2-3 adult males. The female spends her whole life in one herd. Males regularly move from one herd to another. When a group becomes very large, some of the males go with it and form a new herd.

Killer whales dive to a depth of 300 m, but are usually found near the surface of the water. While diving, they submerge for about 30 seconds. They can stay underwater for up to 4 minutes. Killer whales spend most of their time hunting, they also play willingly. Often the whole herd hunts together. At the same time, animals jump out of the water and plunge into the depths of the water column with noise. These cetaceans usually do not attack humans (only a case of an attack on a trainer in the San Diego Aquarium and an attack on a small yacht in the Caribbean Sea was recorded), but they do not show fear in front of her, approaching whaling ships and boats.

social structure

Killer whales have a complex social organization. Its basis is the maternal group (family), usually consisting of a female with cubs of different ages and adult sons. Several families headed by relatives (daughters, sisters or cousins) make up a group or flock. On average, one group includes 18 individuals, and its members are strongly attached to each other. Each group has its own vocal dialect, which includes both sounds made only by animals of this group, and common to all killer whales. A very stable grouping, however, may disintegrate for several hours, especially during foraging. Several groupings of killer whales may unite for joint hunting or various social interactions. Since all members of one group are related to each other, mating in killer whales presumably occurs at the moments of association of several groups.

Relationships between killer whales within the flock are extremely friendly and non-aggressive. In the most extreme case, an indignant individual can slam its caudal or pectoral fins on the surface of the water. Healthy killer whales take care of old, sick or crippled relatives.

What do killer whales eat?

Killer whales feed on large fish (salmon, herring, tuna, mackerel) and cephalopods (mainly squid). For small species, this is the main prey, while a large killer whale can also attack large animals. Among its victims are fur seals, sea lions, seals, walruses, penguins and whales of almost all kinds.

Interestingly, these animals do not prey on small dolphins; it is difficult for a large and heavy killer whale to catch a more nimble congener despite the high speed developed during the hunt. But larger whales should be wary of killer whales, because they can encroach on the life of any giant that is 10-20 times larger than them. True, killer whales often attack cubs, old or sick animals. Group cohesion helps them to overcome the whale, killer whales surround him with the whole herd and bite (if the victim weakly resists) or do not allow him to float to the surface. The latter technique is more often applied to cubs, which mothers actively protect with blows of a powerful tail. Orcas can catch smaller pinnipeds alone.

Hunting

Killer whale hunting techniques are varied. In addition to a group attack with the whole herd, they can drive schools of large fish and eat them one at a time; can chase fur seals and lions by chasing them at high speed and jumping out of the water; they can sneak up on ice floes with sleeping seals and knock them over; finally, killer whales can even ... throw themselves onto land in search of prey. This technique is used near fur seal rookeries, killer whales swim close to the shore, and then jump out into the surf with a sharp jerk. Since the seals are slow on land, they cannot get away from such a jerk, but the killer whale runs the risk of miscalculating and remaining in shallow water.

High activity also causes a high need for food, a pygmy killer whale eats up to 8 kg of fish per day, a large 50-160 kg! Such a bold hunting behavior of killer whales has led to the fact that bloodthirstiness is attributed to these animals and even called them killers. In fact, killer whales are inventive only out of necessity, being well-fed, they do not show aggression even towards potential victims. So, in aquariums, large killer whales perfectly cooperate with people and get along with smaller dolphins without the slightest encroachment on their lives.

Reproduction and lifespan

Both males and females have multiple partners throughout the breeding season or lifetime. Although killer whales are difficult to study in the wild, some of their reproductive habits have been recorded and studied in captive individuals.

Killer whales may copulate whenever the female is in estrus, which sometimes occurs several times a year. However, most matings take place in the summer, and the young are usually born in the fall. Females reach sexual maturity between 6 and 10 years of age and males between 10 and 13 years of age. Females begin to mate at 14-15 years of age. The youngest recorded female who produced offspring was 11 years old. Females give birth to a calf every 6-10 years and stop breeding at the age of 30-40, when killer whales go through menopause. As a result, the female is born from 3 to 6 cubs within 15-25 years.

Gestation lasts about 14 months, although the recorded gestation in captivity has been 539 days (over 17 months). Newborn babies are breastfed for about a year. Some studies show that nearly half of all newborn killer whales die in their first year of life. Female killer whales invest a lot of energy in raising their offspring. They train the cubs to hunt and live in a social environment. Since these animals are not monogamous, it is assumed that fathers do not show parental involvement after mating.

The mortality rate among killer whales varies depending on the age of the animal. Neonatal mortality is very high, with captive neonatal mortality ranging from 37 to 50%. The reason for these high mortality rates is unknown, but predation is not considered a major threat during this time. After six months, mortality steadily declines as killer whales learn to defend themselves and hunt. Mortality rates are thought to be lowest around 12-13 years in males and 20 years in females. The average lifespan for a female in the wild is about 63 years (maximum 80-90 years) and for males about 36 years (maximum 50-60 years).

Enemies

When a killer whale is on the hunt, all the inhabitants of the ocean hide from it. It is very difficult to remember an animal capable of defeating this giant. In addition, this predator is intelligent, which gives another indisputable advantage. However, people and animals can join the fight. The first managed to tame sea animals with music.

But there have been cases when a killer whale attacked a person. Sea giants try to avoid sperm whales, dolphins and tiger sharks. These representatives of the fauna can hurt them.

Relationship with a person

Their commercial mining was banned in 1982 by a moratorium. However, it does not apply to indigenous whaling and the capture of killer whales for scientific and educational purposes.

The growth of the human population, accompanied by an increase in the volume of fishing and hunting, has shaped the perception of killer whales among miners as a dangerous competitor to their business.

In their natural habitat, killer whales do not show fear of humans, but no attacks have been documented. There are no reliable cases of human death as a result of killer whale attacks in the wild.

Economic importance

The killer whale causes some damage to the fur seal economy, hunting and fishing. Their commercial production was terminated in 1981 due to a moratorium on whaling. A small number of killer whales are still taken in the waters of Greenland, Indonesia and Japan. In Kamchatka and the Commander Islands, the meat of killer whales thrown out by the sea is fed to dogs and arctic foxes.

In their natural habitat, killer whales do not attack humans, but they do not show fear of them either. Among the large predators, the killer whale is the most friendly animal towards humans. In captivity, they are peaceful, quickly get used to a person and are easy to train, and under favorable conditions they breed. Killer whales usually do not show aggression towards dolphins and seals kept together with them in the same pool, as well as towards humans, although isolated cases of attacks on trainers are known. They become irritable and aggressive only during the breeding season.

Orca calf and human

Contrary to ideas about killer whales as large and friendly dolphins, in captivity they often show aggression, but usually do not show it towards dolphins and seals kept with them in the same pool. There are isolated cases of the death of trainers from the attack of killer whales.

Killer whales become irritable and aggressive not only during the breeding season. The reason for the manifestation of such behavior can be killer whale genes, boredom, stress from being in a confined space, isolation from the natural habitat of a highly developed social animal, food deprivation necessary for positive reinforcement as a learning method.

The very issue of keeping killer whales in captivity is controversial, as recently captured killer whales have been used as stars of various shows in marine parks, such as SeaWorld, Marineland, etc. In Marineland 4, killer whales showing performances were born in park.

Currently, there is an active struggle in the United States to ban the keeping of killer whales in captivity: in the state of California, a law is under consideration prohibiting exploitation as circus animals; in the state of New York, the keeping and harboring of representatives of this species is already completely prohibited.

Until recently, killer whales were not captured in Russia, until the first killer whales were captured in the Far East in 2012 and 2013 for subsequent use for cultural and educational purposes.

Two of them, named Narnia and Nord, were delivered to Moscow for the Moskvarium Center for Oceanography and Marine Biology, which opened on August 5, 2015 on the territory of the Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy (VDNKh).

Later they were joined by a third killer whale brought by a special flight from Vladivostok. The killer whale was given the stage name Juliet.

Killer whales and black dolphins are the only non-human species in which females go through menopause and can live for several more decades without producing offspring.
All members of the resident killer whale pod use similar calls, which are considered to be their peculiar "dialect". Dialects are made up of a specific number and types of repeated sounds. They remain unchanged for a long time. These sounds and structures are peculiar to individual groups.
Killer whales have teeth that are up to 13 cm long; they allow them to tear their prey without much difficulty.
Killer whales can reach speeds up to 55 km/h.
The shape of the spots is individual for each killer whale, with their help you can easily distinguish one individual from another.
Albino killer whales (all white) and melanistic killer whales (all black) can be found in the North Pacific.
Each population has its own nutritional advantages. Some killer whales eat fish, while others eat mammals.
Scientists divide killer whales into two varieties: “transit” and “resident”, that is, killer whales are “tramps” and “homebodies”.
Killer whales from the same group behave towards each other very friendly. In case of any disagreement, they express their dissatisfaction only by clapping their fin or tail on the water.
In order not to die of hunger, the killer whale needs to eat from 50 to 200 kg of meat per day.
Females can give birth to up to 6 cubs in their entire life. In the period of 35-40 years, females lose the ability to bear offspring.
In relation to humans, the killer whale rarely shows aggression. In the wild, there have been no officially recorded cases of killer whale attacks on humans.
Recently, active work has been carried out to ban the keeping of killer whales in captivity. In the state of New York, USA, keeping killer whales in captivity is prohibited by law.
Arctic killer whales, constantly living in cold waters, make a march every year to the warmer coasts of South America, and then return back. As scientists have suggested, they make all this way for the sake of molting. During this process, the process of blood circulation intensifies in killer whales, at the same time, heat loss also increases. Therefore, near the southern shores, where the water temperature is +24°C, it is more convenient for killer whales to molt.
Scientists have analyzed the genome of killer whales "homebodies" and "tramps" and found that for 100 thousand years there have been no cross-breeding between these species.
The life expectancy of killer whales in males is on average 35 years, and in females 50 years. Long-livers were also recorded among females who lived 70-90 years.