Orcinus Orca
Killer Whale
An orca is a marine mammal. Did you know that orcas are actually dolphins? In fact, they are the largest member of the dolphin family! Dolphins and whales are closely related, both are in the order Cetacea, which includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Orcas were given the name "killer whale" by ancient sailors' observations of groups of orcas hunting and preying on larger whale species. They called orcas asesina ballenas, or "whale killer," a term that was eventually flipped around to the easier "killer whale." Their Latin name, Orcinus orca, also reflects this observation of orcas feeding on large whales. Orcinus translates to "of the kingdom of the dead" and orca refers to a kind of whale.
What we now know is that not all orcas prey on other cetaceans. Some populations specialize on fish, some on seals, some on sharks and rays, and some are generalists and eat many different things! We also know that they are complex, highly social, and have different cultures, orcas have their own civilization under the sea. Top predators, yes, but not the vicious "whale killers" that the ancient mariners thought them to be. If you could give orcas another name, what would you call them?
Whale Killers
Family
Killer whales are highly social; some populations are composed of matrilineal family groups (pods) which are the most stable of any animal species. Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviours, which are often specific to a particular group and passed across generations, have been described as manifestations of animal culture.
Within each pod, families form into sub-pods centered around older females, usually grandmothers or great-grandmothers. Both male and female offspring remain in close association with their mothers for life.
The Southern Resident Killer Whales are frequently seen, from spring through fall, in the protected inshore waters of the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea includes the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Strait of Georgia, and Puget Sound, and all their connecting channels and adjoining waters, and the waters around and between the San Juan Islands in Washington State and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia.
With only 19 members, K Pod is the smallest of the three pods in the Southern Resident Killer Whale community. The two oldest females in K pod are K12 and K13, both estimated to have been born in 1972. K pod has three mature males, K21, and K26, and K25. The most recent calf born into K pod is K44 (male, born 2011), the first known calf of K27.
L Pod is by far the largest of the three Southern Resident pods. Its members currently total 35. L pod's mature males are L41, L84, L85, L87 and L88. L87 has been traveling with J pod since 2010. L pod had two new calfs born in 2015, L121, L123. L121 is the second calf of L94.
Captivity
Killer whales, more properly known as orcas, have been kept in captivity since 1961, helpless victims of a blatantly commercial experiment which has seen dozens of wild orcas plucked from their families and forced to live in artificial social groupings which bear scant resemblance to their natural order.
Unlike wild killer whales, captive killer whales are reported to have made nearly two dozen attacks on humans since the 1970s, some of which have been fatal.
The growing uneasiness with the concept of keeping orcas in captivity has only been increased by the renowned documentary Blackfish, documenting the reality of the captives' existence. Despite the best attempts of the display industry to blow a smokescreen over such negative publicity, the wider world is now increasingly aware that all is not well in fantasy-land. In recent years, first a trickle, then a steady torrent, of incidents have been reported. A growing catalogue of 'accidents', illnesses, failed pregnancies and premature deaths that have helped to show up this industry for the cruel circus that it really is.
Life Cycle
Female killer whales begin to mature at around the age of 10 (reaching peak fertility around 20), which consists of periods of polyestrous cycling with noncycling periods of between three and 16 months. Females can often breed until age 40, after which comes a rapid decrease in fertility. As such, orcas are among the animals that undergo menopause and live for decades after they have finished breeding. The lifespans of wild females average 50 years. An exception is Granny (J2), who was the oldest known orca, estimated to have been 105 years old at the time of her death.
To avoid inbreeding, males mate with females from other pods. Gestation varies from 15 to 18 months. Mothers calve, with usually a single offspring, about once every five years. In resident pods, births occur at any time of year, although winter is the most common. Mortality is extremely high during the first seven months of life, when 37–50% of all calves die. Weaning begins at about 12 months and completes by the age of two. According to observations in several regions, all male and female pod members participate in the care of the young.
Males sexually mature at the age of 15, but do not typically reproduce until age 21. Wild males live around 29 years on average, with a maximum of about 60 years. One male, known as Old Tom, was reportedly spotted every winter between the 1840s and 1930 off New South Wales, Australia. This would have made him up to 90 years old. Examination of his teeth indicated he died around age 35, but this method of age determination is now believed to be inaccurate for older animals. One male known to researchers in the Pacific Northwest (identified as J1) was estimated to have been 59 years old when he died in 2010.
Captive killer whale lifespans are typically significantly shorter, usually less than 25 years; however, numerous individuals are alive in their 30s, and a few have reached their 40s. Killer whales are unique among cetaceans, as their heads become relatively shorter as they age, i.e., the orca's caudal section enlongates more-so relative to its head.