The killer whale, or
Orca, is a toothed whale that is an efficient predator. It has been known to even attack young
blue whales. They have only one enemy,
human beings. The killer whale is part of the
dolphin family and is the largest dolphin. They live in small, close-knit family
pods and are very social animals. And stay in these pods for their entire life.
Orcas grow to be about 27-33 feet long and weigh more than 8,000-12,000 pounds. They are black with a few distinctive white patches. They eat a variety of marine mammals, everything from turtles to birds to other whales. Orcas speak using a series of clicks, whistles and pulses. The live up to 50-90 years.
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom Animalia (animals)
Phylum Chordata (vertebrates)
Class Mammalia (mammals)
Order Cetacea (whales and dolphins)
Suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales)
Family Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins)
Genus Orcinus
Species orca