Killer Whales (Orcas) Explained!

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From actually being dolphins to the ability to eat sharks! Here are 10 facts you did not know about Orcas. Enjoy Killer Whales explained to learn more about these species.

#10. Orcas are actually dolphins
Despite the fact that Orcas are commonly referred to as “killer whales,” their actual biological classification is quite different. The name “killer whale” was given to the creatures by sailors/ who observed their behavior of targeting and killing actual whales in ferocious ways. They were initially called “whale killers.” However, over time, the name has flipped to what we know today.

#9. Orcas use a special sense to hunt
Orcas have developed a special adaptation that takes advantage of echolocation. Although echolocation, also called bio sonar, is thought to be the forte of creatures such as bats, orcas, and other toothed dolphins, have heightened senses in that capacity as well. They detect the location and characteristics of prey and other objects in the water/ by emitting clicks and listening for echoes. They have a special organ in their brain capable of transmitting three different waves for the best sensitivity.

#8. Orcas have really big brains
Speaking of an orca’s brain, these creatures have a really big brain size. After sperm whales—which have the largest brain of any animal at all—orcas have the second-largest brains of any marine animal. Their brains can weigh as much as 15 pounds, which is half the weight of an entire Icelandic sheepdog. Although in the past, big brain size was thought to correlate with high intelligence, that isn’t quite the case anymore, and orcas might be more intelligent than their pretty massive brain size suggests.

#7. Orcas are the second most widespread animal in the world
Other than having the title of the second-largest brain among marine animals, orcas also hold the title of the second most widespread animal in the world. They can be found in all oceans and seas, although their population densities tend to vary depending on the exact location and the exact depth.

#6. Orca Clans Speak Different Languages
This is one of the benefits that a large brain affords these creatures. Not only have they developed the basics of language, but the different orca clans speak different languages. Orcas are highly social creatures that stick together to hunt, mate, protect one another, and migrate. They stick to small family groups called pods, which, when placed together, form larger societal groups known as clans.

Orcas communicate which each other using sounds and non-verbal gestures.

#5. Orcas go through menopause
As, biologically speaking, the one purpose of life is to reproduce more life, the vast majority of creatures stay sexually active for much of their lifecycles. However, there are some notable exceptions, including humans and orcas.

This menopause occurs due to the habit of killer whales of staying in pods. Because both sons and daughters remain in the pod throughout adulthood, older females are increasingly related to everyone in the pod, and so they need to stop breeding lest they breed with their offspring and share genes, which will weaken the gene pool. Instead of doing this, females stick around and help by guiding and protecting young members of the pod.

#4. Orcas have evolved based on culture
Evolution is one of the most basic laws of biology. At its most elementary level, it ensures that only living organisms with the best traits for surviving their environment can breed and pass these traits down to newer generations. For more intelligent creatures such as humans and orcas, the rules of evolution are a little different.

#3. Orcas are voracious eaters
Killer whales are very greedy, and their greediness manifests in two ways. One, their diverse food palette. And two, the amount of food they eat in a day. Orcas eat just about anything, including fish, squid, marine birds, seals, sea lions, penguins, sea turtles, sharks, and even other kinds of whales.

#2. Orcas exhibit sexual dimorphism
This means both males and females have different physical characteristics. These differences exist because males and females have different ways of life. Males need only to hunt and mate, but females need to perform the function of childbirth, child protection, and child-rearing.
While in most other marine species, females are larger to accommodate for these functions, that isn’t the case with orcas. In fact, female orcas are smaller than orca males.

#1. Orcas bully and eat sharks
Although great white sharks are thought to be apex predators, they get bullied and eaten quite often by orcas. Sometimes, after sharks go through the trouble of stalking prey, orcas show up and take the catch away from the sharks. In such situations, the sharks are happy merely to get away with their lives. As mentioned earlier, orcas are known to eat sharks from time to time.