OrcaInfo1

Orca Info

Cetaceans 1

Cetaceans 2

Hunting 1

Hunting 2

Sight

Swimming

Habitat

Body Stats

Males and Calves

Fact or Myth: Orca, at most, grow to 2.5 tons.

Myth - Female orcas can weigh as much as four tons, and male orcas can weigh as much as six tons. One ton is equal to 1,000 kilograms or 2,204.6 pounds.

Think about it......

a killer whale's weight is equal to two to three minivans!

11. Fact or Myth: When Orca are born they measure less than one meter in length.

Myth - After twelve months of gestation, killer whales are born close to two meters in length and weigh around 180 kilograms. They often have a yellowish tint to their skin at birth that generally disappears within a year. After nursing for approximately one year, offspring spend their entire life with their mother. They will belong to a pod that may have up to one hundred killer whales. Fully grown females weigh roughly three tons and are approximately twenty-three feet long. They become sexually mature around the age of six to ten years while males reach sexual maturity at ten to thirteen years of age. Orca reproduce in intervals of two to fourteen years.

Adult males weigh approximately four tons and are roughly eight meters long, with females growing to about seven meters. Up to two meters tall, male dorsal fins are much larger than those of the females. Female orcas have shorter and more curved dorsal fins.

In the wild, sixty years is the average life expectancy of killer whales. However, some live to be ninety years old. In comparison, they usually survive only five years in captivity!

Yellowish tint of a newborn calf

For further information visit these sites:

Orcas: Killer Beauties - This website has quality and thorough information about the physical characteristics of an orca under the heading of "Physical Characteristics".

Glossary

equivalent - equals
gestation - pregnancy
pod - A term related to resident killer whales referring to the subpods that travel together.

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Citations

weigh scale and submarine graphic - Microsoft Office Online