Killer Whales
by
Caitlin Turner
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Killer Whales by
Caitlin Turner |
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Killer Whales
Killer whales are the best hunters in the ocean, and they use their speed and
Strength to capture their food. Killer whales eat seals, fish, dolphins, walrus, sea lions, squid, and sometimes seabirds. Killer whales will sometimes jump on the ice if they are chasing a walrus or seal to try and catch them.
Killer whales are found in oceans all over the world but they like the icy waters best. They are usually seen about 500 miles away from the land.
Killer whales stay in groups called pods. The pods have 5 to 20 whales in them and they are all related. The leader is one of the older females, and
the whales are her children and sisters or brothers. A baby lives with it's Mother for it's whole life in the pod.
A grown male killer whale is 22 to 27 feet long and weighs about 8,000 to 12,000
Pounds. The males dorsal fin is straight up on its back. Both the male and the female have the same colors on them, black backs and tails with a gray patch that is behind the dorsal fin. The belly is white, and it has white marks
Above each eye. This helps hide them in the water.
A grown female killer whale is 17 to 24 feet long and weighs about 3,000 to 8,000 pounds. The females dorsal fin is curved. The female has a baby when itís 15 years old
about . The babies are 8 feet and weigh about 400 pounds. They drink the mothers milk. The milk has a lot of fat and that is what the babies need to make blubber so they can stay warm in the cold and icy water.
The whales use echolocation to find their way around the ocean. The noises sound like a bunch of clicks. When they talk they use clicks, whistles, screetches and squeals. They have 7 - 17 different calls. Families use the same calls.
Knowing about killer whales, is very helpful because they teach us how they live. By being in sea world they let us watch them and see how they
act so that we can learn from them. If they ever need our help we can protect them or their homes.
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 Bibliography: Killer whale by Caroline Arnold |
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Photographs by Richard Hewett 1994 |
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