Range Map of Killer Whale
Quick Facts
Type: Marine Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan: 17 – 29 years
Size: 16 to 30 feet
Weight: Average, 3 to 6 tons
Killer Whale Jokes
Q. What do whales eat?
A. Fish and ships.
Q. What do whales like to chew?
A. Blubber gum!
Q. Where are whales weighed?
A. At a whale weigh station
Q. What time is it when a whale runs into your boat?
A. Time to get a new boat.
Did you know?
Killer Whale Types
Killer Whale Anatomy
Killer Whales
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- The killer whale is not a fish. It is a marine mammal. However, it is not a whale. It is in fact a dolphin, and the largest dolphin to boot.
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- Killer whales are very social creatures.
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- They live in groups of related females, headed by the oldest female, called pods.
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- Killer whales do not have smelling organs or a lobe of the brain dedicated to smelling, so it is believed that they cannot smell. They do, however, have good senses of sight and hearing.
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- They can hear better than dogs and even bats.
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- They produce high-pitched whistles, pulsed calls and low-frequency pops.
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- Killer whales cannot completely go to sleep, because they have to go up to the surface to breathe every now and then. Instead, they sleep with just half of their brains. If a killer whale’s left eye is open, that means the right side of its brain is awake and the other asleep, and vice versa.
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- Killer whales can be found in all the oceans of the world, in both warm and cold waters, even in freezing waters.
- Killer whales feed on sea birds, squid, octopuses, sea turtles, sharks, rays and fish. They also eat most marine mammals, such as seals and dugongs.