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KILLER WHALE or ORCA
Orcinus orca
(Linaeus 1758)

DERIVATION: orcinus may be from the Latin for a kind of whale or orcynus for a kind of tunny,
referring to the species' resemblance to tuna or its habit of preying on them.

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Killer whales, or orcas, are actually the largest member of the dolphin family and the top predator in the marine environment. Spanish whalers called orcas "whale killers" after observing them hunt in packs, killing or overcoming marine mammals, including whales. Somehow, their name got turned around to today's designation, "killer whales." No accurate report exists of orcas in the wild attacking or killing humans.

Orcas have the most impressive markings of any animal in the sea or on land with their powerful black glossy bodies, white eye patch situated above and behind the eye, and white flank and belly markings.

Saddle patches are light gray and behind the dorsal fin. The dorsal fins are different for each whale and are the means researchers have utilized to identify individual orcas. The oval eye patch, which varies in size and shape, is also an excellent means of identification.

By using these recognizable markings, a Canadian researcher, the late Michael Bigg, realized years ago that by photographing and cataloging resident pods of orcas in the waters surrounding Vancouver Island, Canada, each whale could be identified and followed over its lifetime.

K.C. Balcomb III formed Orca Survey and began similar studies of resident orca pods in the American waters surrounding the San Juan Islands, Washington. These combined studies have resulted in long and thorough research of cetaceans in the wild.

Killer whales remain with their family group, or pod, throughout their life which can be up to 70 years. A pod, containing male and female adults, juveniles and calves, may be comprised of a few whales or over 30 whales. Occasionally, pods come together and form short-term coalitions called "super pods."

Physical Characteristics:

• Length: Males average 23 feet, may reach 32 feet.
• Females average 20 feet, may reach 28 feet.
• Weight: Up to eight tons.
• Dorsal Height: up to six feet high on males and two-three feet high on females and immature males.
• Calves: Seven feet long and 450 pounds at birth. For the first few months of their life, their bellies and eye patches
   are pinkish-orange or tan, not white.
• Teeth: 10-13 conical teeth on each side of the upper and lower jaw.
• Enemies: Orcas have no enemies other than man. They are cosmopolitan,living in all the world's oceans.
• Reproduction: Gestation is around 14 months and calves nurse for at least a year, perhaps two. The shortest
   interval for calving, observed in Washington and British Columbia, is three years; the average is closer to eight
   years.

My first encounter with orcas in the wild was their sound -- we could hear their blows before they came in sight -- as the pod moved rapidly north in Haro Strait, San Juan Islands. When they came in view, the huge and powerful dorsal of a large bull (J-1) was an majestic sight. If you have only seen captive orcas, the size of a healthy male dorsal fin is astounding.

During this same period with Orca Survey, while on a schooner off of San Juan Island, we encountered K-pod and an afternoon's outing turned into evening, night, morning, and the following afternoon. The only time we were out of touch with the pod was before dawn when the orcas entered Vancouver Harbor, British Columbia. We waited. Very soon, through the hydrophones, we picked up their chirps and whistles as they turned and headed south, back to the San Juans.

In 28 hours, we had observed orcas playing, eating salmon, socializing with another pod, spyhopping and breaching, all the while traveling over 100 miles. Regretfully, we left K-pod where we had picked them up. Conceivably, it was an average orca day to them, but being human, we needed rest.

By : Maris Sidenstecker

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Orca Activities:

Breaching - Throwing their bodies above the water’s surface and returning with a big splash.

Lobtailing - Raising their tails high into the air and bringing them crashing onto the water’s surface.

Spyhopping - Hanging vertically in the water with their heads above the surface to look over their surroundings;
                          also called pitch-poling.

Fluke Slapping - Raising a flipper and slapping it against the water.