The killer whale is one of the brightest and most mysterious marine mammals of the globe with an extremely ambiguous reputation. Some people consider him a giant dolphin with a kind soul and a high level of intelligence, others – a dangerous and cruel predator capable of killing not only for 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.
The killer whale is a marine mammal with a contrasting color, reaches a length of 10 meters and weighs up to 8 tons.
The mammal's head is small, with a flat forehead, without a dolphin "beak". The eyes are also small. The teeth are massive and sharp, up to 13 cm long, they easily tear large prey. The pectoral fins are 60 cm long and 15 cm wide, not pointed, but wide, in shape closer to oval.
The color is very spectacular, you can say — "a dress pair". The satin skin on the back and sides is mostly jet black, and on the belly is dazzling white. In some killer whales living in Antarctica, the sides are slightly lighter than the back. Behind the fin on the back there is a gray spot, shaped like a saddle.
On the sides there are white spots of different configurations and sizes everywhere, there are such spots under the eyes. The shape of all the spots on the body of the killer whale is individual, it is possi
ble to identify the animal as a human by fingerprints.
Although killer whales can be found all over the world, they are much more common in highly productive areas of cold-water upwelling; including in the Pacific Northwest, along the northern coast of Norway in the Atlantic and in the higher latitudes of the Southern Ocean.
Killer whales have also been spotted in areas with warm water, such as Florida, Hawaii, Australia, the Galapagos Islands, the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in waters with a more temperate climate, such as New Zealand and southern regions of Africa. Such observations are recorded infrequently, but they demonstrate the ability of killer whales to survive in tropical waters. Occasionally killer whales could be seen in freshwater rivers around the world, such as the Rhine, Thames and Elbe. One individual even swam about 177 km up the Columbia River in search of fish.
It is difficult to calculate the number of killer whales around the world, but on average there are now about 100 thousand individuals, of which 70-80% are in the waters of Antarctica. The lifestyle of killer whales is gregarious. As a rule, there are no more than 20 individuals in one herd. They always stick together. It is rare to meet a killer whale alone. Most likely it is a weak animal.
Family groups can be quite small. It can be a female with a male and their cubs. The large herds include 3-4 adult males and the remaining females. Males often wander from one family to another, while females are in the same herd all their lives. If the group has become too large, then some of the killer whales are simply eliminated.
Killer whales live relatively long for mammals, although much smaller than whales. The average life expectancy of killer whales is 50-60 years, but in good conditions they can live much longer. Once in captivity, these predators live 2 or even 3 times less.
If you've listened to live killer whales or watched movies with their participation, you've probably noticed that the sounds these animals make are too loud, melodic and sharp. As a very social species, they undoubtedly require an effective communication system.
Despite the fact that these animals do not have visible ears, they are and are located behind the eyes of killer whales, and are very well developed. When hunting in dark or highly turbulent waters, these mammals rely entirely on their hearing to navigate the water, communicate with relatives and hunt.
Killer whales have a very complex communication system and it has not yet been fully studied by researchers. However, scientists have come to the conclusion that representatives of different groups have certain sets of sounds that allow them to recognize members of their pack and are transmitted from generation to generation. Cubs are born with a limited set of sounds, which increase when the babies learn from their mother and other adults from the pack.
