Killer Whale

Today, wewill talk about the killer whale, also known as the orca. These large predatorsare part of the oceanic dolphin family, and can be found in almost every oceanand sea on earth. Killer whales are found in all oceans and most seas on Earth.Because of how widespread the species is, it’s very difficult to figure out howthe species is distributed among the planet. Killerwhales are the largest extant member of the dolphin family, with large malesgoing up to 8 meters in length, and can weigh more than 6 tons. Their pectoralfins, which are like their forearms or forelimbs, are short and rounded. Theyhave large dorsal fins, or fins on their back, and males typically have dorsalfins that are twice as big as females. Killer whales are mostly black, with awhite chest, sides, and patch behind their eyes. They have a dark grey patchbehind their fins, which kind of looks like a saddle. They have a thick layerof blubber, or a layer of fat, beneath their skin, which helps to keep themfrom freezing. Killerwhales are apex predators, which means they are at the top of the food chain,and there are no other animals that prey on them. They are similar to wolves inthe way that they hunt, since both animals like to hunt in packs, rather thanby themselves. Because of this, they are often called “the wolves of the sea.”There are a variety of things that killer whales would eat, which is probably aresult of how widespread the species is. They will hunt many species of fish,such as salmon and herring. Herring are often caught using a method calledcarousel feeding, where a group of killer whales will force a school of herringinto a ball. They then slap the ball of fish with their tails, which stuns orkills them, making for an easy meal. Killer whales will also hunt sharks, otherwhale species, birds, sea turtles, seals, mammals, and cephalopods. For wildsuzhou, I’m Ciana, thanks for listening and see you next time.