Whether killer whale. Orca whale. Killer whale lifestyle and habitat. Social structure and reproduction

Killer whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. Killer whales are the largest predatory dolphins.

2. The killer whale is the most dangerous predator of the oceanic expanses. She can easily eat a sea lion or an elephant, and as a whole family they can easily cope with a ten-ton whale. In English, killer whales are often referred to as "killer whales".

3. Killer whales live in all oceans and in most seas from the equator to the poles, in waters of different temperatures.

4. Killer whales are the most common species among mammals after humans.

5. Killer whales are predators of the highest order, that is, none of the animals in the wild prey on them. Killer whales can even hunt large whales and sharks. Killer whales are sometimes referred to as "sea wolves", as they prefer to hunt in groups, like packs of wolves.

6. The coloring of the killer whale is represented by two colors, that is, black and white. Her throat and belly are painted white, and her sides and back are painted black.

7. Albino killer whales (completely white) and melanistic killer whales (completely black) can be found in the North Pacific Ocean, but this is already a consequence of a genetic deviation, because ideally they are black and white.

8. Although the coloration of killer whales has some common features, individual representatives are easily recognized by the unique combination of white and gray colors on the saddle patch, as well as by the shape of the spots.

9. Unlike other dolphins, the orca's pectoral flippers are sharp and oval and wide in shape.

10. Like dolphins, killer whales communicate using echolocation.

male killer whale

11. Males and females differ both in weight and in length. So, for example, the mass of males is 7.5 tons with a length of about 10 meters, and the mass of females is no more than 4 tons with a length of 7 meters.

12. Also, killer whale males have an upright, curved and high fin on their backs. And in females, the dorsal fin is two times smaller and curved.

female killer whale

13. While scientists are arguing over whether killer whales are one species or include several subspecies, but some scientists suggest that one species of killer whales, most likely, can be divided into 3-5 different subspecies.

14. Due to their global distribution, population density and abundance, it is difficult to estimate how many killer whales there are in the world, but it is known that most killer whales live in high latitudes and close to the coast. It is also difficult to say whether they are in danger of extinction.

15. The only threat to killer whales is humans. Some experts claim that killer whale populations have declined by 30 percent over the past 3 generations due to reduced food supply and environmental pollution.

16. Orcas are social animals. They prefer to coexist in small groups connected by family ties. Sometimes the number of groups of killer whales can reach up to 40-50 individuals.

17. Some killer whale populations form maternal family groups known as small herds, which are the most stable of all animal species.

18. Killer whales eat different foods in different places. For example, in the Pacific Northwest, their diet consists of 90 percent salmon, other populations prefer turtles, seals, herring and tuna.

19. With the help of long (up to 13 centimeters) teeth, killer whales can easily cope with sharks by holding them upside down for 15 minutes.

20. Orcas can even eat birds. Killer whales have been known to regurgitate overcooked fish onto the surface of the water to attract gulls and then attack them. This case has been seen in killer whales living in captivity. Another 4 killer whales began to copy the same behavior.

"Transit" killer whales

21. Scientists divide killer whales into two varieties: “transit” and “resident”, that is, killer whales “tramps” and “homebodies”.

22. Resident populations eat more fish, while transit populations eat seals and other marine mammals.

23. Scientists have analyzed the genome of killer whales "homebodies" and "tramps" and found that for 100 thousand years there have been no cross-breeding between these species.

Killer whales - residents in the aquarium

24. All members of a flock of killer whales - residents use similar cries, which are considered their kind of "dialect". Dialects are made up of a specific number and types of repeated sounds. They remain unchanged for a long time. These sounds and structures are peculiar to individual groups. But these animals have signals that they emit common to all killer whales.

25. Killer whales from the same group behave towards each other very friendly and even take care of injured individuals. In case of any disagreement, they express their dissatisfaction only by clapping their fin or tail on the water.

26. A killer whale can have from 40 to 60 teeth. In this case, the length of the teeth is about 13 centimeters. Such teeth help them to easily hunt and eat other smaller marine mammals.

27. Killer whales are very cunning and smart in the way they get their own food. They can swim up to the ice floe on which the walruses lie and overturn it into the water. If this happens, then walruses are unlikely to be able to escape, since killer whales hunt in packs, they immediately completely surround their prey.

28. If the killer whales have conceived the hunt for the sperm whale, then they tend to push it to the surface, because it seeks to hide in the water column as quickly as possible and as deep as possible.

29. The average amount of food for killer whales per day is about 150 kilograms.

30. Female killer whales live on average twice as long as males.

Arctic killer whales

31. Arctic killer whales, constantly living in cold waters, make a march every year to the warmer coasts of South America, and then return back.

32. As scientists have suggested, they make all this way for the sake of molting. During this process, the blood circulation process intensifies in killer whales, at the same time, heat loss also increases. Therefore, near the southern shores, where the water temperature is +24°C, it is more convenient for killer whales to molt.

33. Killer whales are not only social, but also very smart animals. They know and use complex hunting techniques, as well as use special sounds that are specific to each individual group and are passed down from generation to generation.

34. The killer whale brain is the second largest among mammals.

35. Killer whales and black dolphins are the only non-human species in which females go through menopause and can live for several decades without producing offspring.

36. Killer whales, despite their huge size, are among the fastest marine mammals on the planet and can reach speeds of 35 to 55 kilometers per hour.

37. The female killer whale reaches sexual maturity at the age of about 15 years. Pregnancy lasts 17 months, females give birth about once every 5 years and usually give birth to 1 cub.

38. In resident herds, cubs can be born at any time of the year, but usually this happens in winter. During the first 6-7 months, mortality among babies is very high - about half of the cubs die.

39.According to observations in different regions, both females and males of the herd are involved in caring for the cubs.

40. Females can give birth to offspring up to 40 years old, that is, they can have about 5 cubs in their life.

41. The life expectancy of females in the wild is on average 50 years, but they can live longer - 80-90 years.

42. Sexual maturity of males also occurs at the age of 15, however, before the age of 21 they usually do not enter into sexual relations.

43. Sometimes killer whales can swim in fresh waters, where they were even noticed at a distance of 160 kilometers from the ocean coast.

44. The heart of a killer whale beats half as often under water as on the surface.

45. Since female killer whales can live up to 90 years, about 4 generations live in the same group and travel together. Group members are separated for only a couple of hours in order to find partners or while searching for food.

46. ​​A killer whale cub has from one and a half to two and a half meters in length.

47. In relation to a person, the killer whale rarely shows aggression. In the wild, there have been no officially recorded cases of killer whale attacks on humans.

48. Since killer whales are smart animals, they lend themselves well to training.

49. At the end of 2005, the population of the southern resident population of killer whales, which lived off the coast of the Canadian province of British Columbia and the US state of Washington, was listed in the Red Book.

50. There has been a lot of activity lately to ban the keeping of killer whales in captivity. In the state of New York, USA, keeping killer whales in captivity is prohibited by law.

killer whale- one of the brightest and most mysterious marine mammals of the globe with an extremely controversial reputation. Some people consider him a giant dolphin with a kind soul and a high level of intelligence, others consider him a dangerous and cruel predator, capable of killing not only for the purpose of food, but also as a manifestation of aggression. Both versions are partly true, the behavior and character of the killer whale are due to many reasons - from the conditions of origin of the species to the diet.

Origin of the species and description

The first mention of this mammal was made at the beginning of the first millennium of our era. Killer whales are introduced into the system of classification of wild animals of the planet by the largest encyclopedic work of antiquity called "Natural History", authored by Pliny the Elder. The scientific name of the killer whale has been changed more than once, it acquired its modern look towards the end of the 18th century, and to this day its Latin version sounds like Orcinus orca.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia and other dictionaries recognize two equally-used names in Russian - “killer whale” and “killer whale”. The most reasonable is the second option, formed from the word "spit", which characterizes the shape of the dorsal fin of the animal. However, in Russian-speaking scientific circles, the first option is more common and common.

Video: Killer whale

The severe nickname - the killer whale - was received by the killer whale to a greater extent due to the many bloody stories and legends retold and embellished for greater interest by storytellers. Cinematography did not stand aside either, creating in its films the image of a cruel and merciless predator capable of attacking not only large marine life, but also humans.

If we turn to the scientific sources of the origin of this mammal, then we can really find that it belongs to the order of cetaceans, the suborder of toothed whales. But the decisive role in the classification of the killer whale is played by its assignment to the dolphin family, which determines the lifestyle and most of the addictions and habits of these animals. That is, the killer whale is the largest carnivorous dolphin with the habits of a real predator.

Appearance and features

The killer whale, being a representative of the dolphin family, has the outlines of the body inherent in animals of this species, but significantly exceeds its relatives in size and has a black and white color.

In its most common form, which is familiar to most people, killer whales have black back and sides, white spots around the throat and above the eyes, and a white longitudinal stripe along the belly. However, in certain areas of the Pacific Ocean there are individuals of a single color - black or white. But such options are rare.

Interesting fact: The location, size of white spots on the body of each individual is unique, akin to human fingerprints, this is a sure sign to identify an individual by individual characteristics.

Killer whale males are one and a half to two times larger than females, reaching ten meters in length and weighing about eight tons. The impressive size and the presence of powerful jaws with two rows of razor-sharp teeth 13-15 centimeters long make these predators ideal hunters capable of catching prey that exceeds their own weight.

In addition to practical benefits, the outstanding hunting data of killer whales give rise to many myths about their amazing bloodthirstiness. According to scientists and experts involved in the study of the life of these animals, most of these stories are ordinary fiction.

Another significant difference between a killer whale and a simple dolphin is the dorsal fin, which is significantly protruding above the contour of the body, reaching a height of one and a half to two meters in males. Cutting water at a speed of about 55 km / h, it terrifies with its impressive size. The fins of females are less intimidating and half as long as those of males. The tails of killer whales are equipped with powerful horizontal fins.

Where does the killer whale live?

All killer whale habitats have long been studied and listed in many reference books and encyclopedias. Thanks to the active social life of killer whales, it is not difficult to get an idea of ​​their distribution in the waters of the oceans.

Since the menu of these predators is wide and varied, they find their food everywhere - from tropical waters to polar ice. True, killer whales are much less common in the tropics than in cold and temperate waters. This is explained by the same food preferences and the choice of the most comfortable environment for living.

Interesting fact: For the waters of Russia, the killer whale is a rather rare inhabitant. Small populations are found in the Mediterranean, White, Bering Seas, but the Azov and Black Seas are free from the presence of killer whales.

For their comfortable living, these animals choose areas that are convenient for hunting, with enough potential food. Therefore, they are less common in open waters than near the coast. The most active strip of their habitat is about 800 km of coastal waters.

What does a killer whale eat?

The diet of killer whales is perhaps the most interesting when it comes to these predators. The natural physical data of killer whales, acquired in the process of evolution, allow them to hunt even the largest representatives of warm-blooded animals that can only be found in the oceans. The killer whale's hunting instinct has honed its skills to perfection. They sneak up on their victims quietly and imperceptibly.

Scottish researcher Erich Hoyt systematized the available data and found out that the diet of killer whales includes:

• 31 species of fish;
• 9 bird species;
• 2 types of cephalopods;
• 1 type of turtle;
• sea ​​otter.

When there is enough food, killer whales are quite friendly towards their fellows and get along well with other cetaceans in the same territory. But in the case of a poor diet, hungry killer whales attack others, pinnipeds and whales without hesitation. Moreover, the size of the prey does not matter: killer whales pounce on large prey with the whole flock.

These giants require 50 to 150 kg of food daily. Each large family of killer whales has certain taste preferences. Some prefer pinnipeds, others - penguins and seabirds, others hunt for shoals of herring.

Interesting fact: Killer whales can look out of the water in search of food.

When hunting, killer whales act in a coordinated and cold-blooded way, not trying to snatch a larger personal piece. Watching their actions, you can trace a certain strategy. Knowing that herring shoals tend to huddle, killer whales drive them into a kind of ball, and then stun the fish with numerous blows of powerful tails. After such actions, the members of the flock can only absorb the immobilized fish floating to the surface of the water.

No less interesting is the strategy of killer whale hunting for seals or fur seals. If the pinnipeds are located on a small iceberg, then the killer whales bring down a series of powerful head blows on the ice floe, simply dropping their prey into the water. Moreover, they can throw their own body onto an ice floe and, sliding along its surface with their belly, catch penguins and pinnipeds right on their own territory.

If for dinner the orcas caught a whale or other large prey that cannot be killed with one blow, the killer whales exhaust the victim with a continuous attack from different sides, tear out pieces of meat, bite into the skin and fins until the resistance runs out. The chances of getting away alive from a hungry flock are almost zero.

But a man, contrary to popular belief, is not an attractive food for killer whales. All attacks on people were committed either by wounded animals or were in self-defense.

Features of character and lifestyle

Killer whales live in packs, each of which has its own hunting traditions, social structure and certain food preferences. These fundamental life characteristics are due to the fact that in some areas killer whales are divided into separate forms. For example, Pacific killer whales are divided by research scientists into two groups: resident and transit killer whales. In nature, representatives of these groups do not communicate with each other and do not mate, although they can often be found in the same territories.

Resident killer whales, or, as they are also called, homebody killer whales, feed mainly on fish and only in rare cases prey on pinnipeds. This type of killer whale, with its behavior and hunting strategy, does not justify the nickname of killer whales. They gather in groups of 12-15 individuals and, lining up in a column or line, track down schools of fish. At the same time, orientation in space and the search for prey occur due to active echolocation.

Transiting killer whales on the hunt behave extremely quietly and orient themselves only by passively listening to the noise of the ocean, since potential prey can easily hear their “call signs”. These killer whales are real killers. They hunt in groups of 3-5 individuals, and their diet is much more diverse than that of resident relatives:

• dolphins;
• whales;
• all kinds of pinnipeds;
• sea ​​otters;
• sea ​​birds;
• penguins.

Interesting fact:“There are cases when killer whales attacked deer and elk swimming across small channels.”

Social structure and reproduction

Killer whales are very social and actively interact with each other. In the course of the evolution of the species, a behavioral pattern of group food prey has developed, which is a determining factor in the formation of the social organization of killer whales. Its basis is the maternal group, which includes an adult female and her offspring of different sexes. Such groups include about 18 individuals who are blood relatives. Sometimes a male can also lead a flock, but such cases are very rare, strict matriarchy reigns in killer whale families.

Each flock has characteristic signals for communicating with each other, the so-called dialect, which indicates belonging to a particular group. Inside the flock, killer whales are very attached to each other and friendly. If conflicts arise between them, they usually end with an angry pat on the water with their fins or tail. Killer whales carefully treat old individuals and young animals.

For successful hunting and other social interactions, packs can exchange group members among themselves. It is believed that it is during such periods that mating of individuals occurs, which ensures the mixing of blood.

With an average life expectancy of 75-100 years, puberty in females occurs at approximately 12-14 years, the reproductive period continues until they reach the age of 40. Males live less, averaging about 50 years.

Interesting fact: The lifespan of killer whales in captivity is reduced by several times compared to the lifespan of individuals in their natural habitat.

The gestation period for female killer whales has not been precisely established, but it is approximately 16-17 months. Cubs are born with a frequency of approximately 5 years, and the minimum period between their birth is 2 years. In a lifetime, a female can have up to six cubs.

Natural enemies of killer whales

Nature endowed the killer whale with a powerful intellect, which, successfully developing in the process of evolution, placed it at the top of the food chain of marine wildlife. Few of the marine inhabitants dare to repulse this mighty predator, therefore, in natural habitats, the killer whale has practically no enemies.

The exception is humpback whales, which have been seen more than once in actions that interfere with the hunting of killer whales. They almost always come into contact with carnivores and very rarely with piscivores. There are cases when humpback whales are the first to approach killer whales during their hunt for other cetaceans or pinnipeds, but more often they protect their cubs or young humpback whales from the attack of hungry predators. These giants have long and very mobile fins, which, overgrown with mollusks, can be quite a dangerous weapon.

Interesting fact: Humpback whales are the only representatives of the marine animal world that can put killer whales to flight.

The nature of the confrontation between killer whales and humpback whales has not been fully studied. Some researchers believe that a certain form of altruism takes place here, which is often found in wildlife, when animals rush to protect not only their relatives, but also representatives of another species.

According to another version, humpback whales react to the vocalization of killer whales. And although carnivorous individuals are rather silent, but during the attack or immediately after it, they are quite actively talking to each other. Perhaps these "talks" attract the attention of whales. In any of the cases, a simple instinct works in humpback whales: if killer whales attack someone nearby, you need to intervene.

Killer whales maintain parity in relations with tiger sharks, sperm whales and ... people, considering them capable of inflicting serious injuries in the event of a conflict.

Population and species status

Killer whales are widely distributed in the oceans, but the status of most of their populations is unknown. All are protected under the International Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

The factors causing killer whale population declines are not well known and it is likely that research will continue until more information becomes available on what needs to be done to reverse this trend.

Here are just a few of the possible reasons:

• a decrease in the quantity and quality of food obtained by animals;
• persistent pollutants of the hydrosphere that cause dysfunction of the immune or reproductive systems;
• oil spills;
• noise and interference from ships that interfere with natural echolocation.

killer whale endowed with perfect intelligence for survival, but due to the global negative human impact on the ecosystem of the oceans, the population was on the verge of extinction. Many research groups, scientists, environmental institutes came to the defense of this unique powerful marine mammal. In their activities, they are trying to find effective ways to preserve the number of killer whales and prevent them from disappearing from the surface of the Earth.

Designated a certain predator, which could be both a killer whale and a sperm whale. English name killer whale("killer whale") killer whale received because of its reputation as a dangerous predator.

The Russian name, presumably, comes from the word "braid", which is reminiscent of the high dorsal fin of males. The spelling "killer whale" is common, but it is not used in special zoological literature.

Description of the species can be found in the tenth edition Systema Naturae Carl Linnaeus under the name Delphinus orca Linnaeus, 1758. The scientific name of the genus changed several times before arriving at the modern stable variant Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758). The obsolete name Orca Gray, 1846 is the most common. It was rejected as a junior homonym of the name Orca Wagler, 1830, proposed for another genus of dolphins (now Hyperoodon Lacépède, 1804) and replaced by the oldest suitable synonym: Orcinus Fitzinger, 1860.

The dorsal fin of a male killer whale is long and straight.

Appearance

Killer whales are the largest carnivorous dolphins; differ from other dolphins in a contrasting black and white color. Killer whales are characterized by sexual dimorphism: males reach a length of 9-10 with a weight of up to 8, females - 7 m with a weight of up to 4 tons. In addition, the dorsal fin in males is high (up to 1.5 m) and almost straight, while in females - about twice as low and bent. Unlike most dolphins, the killer whale's pectoral flippers are not pointed and crescent-shaped, but wide and oval. The head is short, flattened from above, without a beak; teeth are massive, up to 13 cm long, adapted to tearing large prey.

Killer whale skull.

The color of the back and sides of the killer whale is black, the throat is white, and there is a white longitudinal stripe on the belly. In some forms of Antarctic killer whales, the back is darker than the sides. On the back, behind the dorsal fin, there is a gray saddle-shaped spot. Above each eye there is a white spot. In the waters of the Arctic and Antarctic, white spots may acquire a yellowish-greenish or brown tint due to the film of diatoms covering them. The shape of the spots in killer whales is so individual that it allows you to identify individual individuals. In addition, completely black (melanistic) and white (albino) individuals are found in the North Pacific.

Spreading

Killer whale off the coast of Norway.

The killer whale is distributed almost throughout the World Ocean, meeting both near the coast and in open waters, but mainly adheres to 800 km of the coastal strip. It does not enter only the Black, East Siberian and Laptev Seas. It is less common in the tropics than in cold and temperate waters. In Russia, it is common near the Kuril Ridge and the Commander Islands.

Lifestyle and nutrition

Killer whales do not attack a person, but they do not show fear in front of him. All reliable cases of killer whale attacks on humans in nature were committed by defending, injured or otherwise provoked individuals. Among the large predators, the killer whale is the most friendly animal towards humans. In captivity, they are peaceful, quickly get used to a person and are easy to train, and under favorable conditions they breed. Usually killer whales do not show aggression towards dolphins and seals kept together with her in the same pool, as well as towards humans. They become irritable and aggressive only during the breeding season.

The killer whale is a mammal which belongs to the dolphin family. There is often confusion between killer whale and killer whale. A killer whale is a bird, but a killer whale is a whale.

It is one of the most feared and dangerous predators and is on the same level, if not higher, than the white shark. Aggressive and unpredictable. It has a special beauty. It has an elongated and dense body, like. It is black with white spots on its own. It can reach up to 10 meters in size. A fin in height can be up to 1.5 meters in the male.

Their head is short and slightly flat. It has two rows of massive teeth in order to easily tear apart its prey. As a rule, white spots in all individuals are located above the eyes. It should be borne in mind that they are so different for everyone that it is possible to determine an individual individual by spots. Judging by photo, killer whales indeed one of the most beautiful predators of the oceans.

All killer whales are divided into three types:

• Killer whale big;
• Orca(black);
• Pygmy killer whale.

Habitat and lifestyle

The killer whale's habitat extends throughout the oceans. She can be found anywhere, except that she does not live in the Black and Azov Seas. They prefer the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean, as well as the northern part of the Atlantic. In warm waters, this mammal can be found from May to autumn, but no more.

They are excellent and very fast swimmers. Surprisingly, killer whales often swim in bays and can be found near the coast. There were cases of meeting with a killer whale even in the river. The killer whale's favorite habitat is the coast, where there are many seals and.

It is difficult to calculate the number of killer whales around the world, but on average there are now about 100 thousand individuals, of which 70-80% are in the waters of Antarctica. Lifestyle killer whales lead the herd. As a rule, there are no more than 20 individuals in one herd. They always stick together. It is rare to see a lone killer whale. Most likely it is a weak animal.

Family groups can be quite small. It can be a female with a male and their cubs. Large herds include 3-4 adult males and other females. Males often wander from one family to another, while females are in the same herd all their lives. If the group has become too large, then some killer whales are simply eliminated.

The nature of killer whales

Killer whales, like dolphins, are very mobile and love all kinds of games. When a killer whale is chasing prey, it never jumps out of the water. So if you get into the habitats of these mammals and they jump in the water and somersaults, this does not mean that they see you as food, they just want to play.

By the way, they are attracted by the noise of the boat's motor, so they can chase them for many kilometers. The speed at which this animal can swim can reach up to 55 km / h. Inside the herd, peace and tranquility always reign. These animals are surprisingly friendly. If one family member is injured, then the rest will always come to his aid and will not be left to die.

If a sick animal is attacked (which is extremely rare), then the herd will beat it off. But this friendliness ends with members of the same herd; they are aggressive towards other animals, including killer whales. They hunt together and then can tumble and jump in the water for a long time.

killer whale fish who has no enemies at all. The only and merciless enemy of a mammal is hunger. Especially for a big killer whale. They are not adapted to eat small fish. Their hunting tactics are so different that it is a tragedy for her to catch a fish. And how many fish do you need to catch for this giant.

Nutrition and reproduction

The diet directly depends on the type of killer whale. There are two of them:

• transit;
• Settled.

Sedentary killer whales feed on fish and shellfish, squid. Also, sometimes fur seal cubs are included in their diet. They don't eat their own kind. They live in the same region, and only during the breeding season can they swim to other waters. Transit killer whales are the absolute opposite of their sedentary counterparts.

These are killer whales – super predators! They usually live in herds of up to 6 individuals. The whole crowd attack whales, dolphins,. In the fight sharks and killer whales, the second wins. She powerfully grabs the shark and drags it to the bottom, where with the members of the flock they tear it to pieces.

The ability to reproduce offspring in killer whales appears at the age of 8 years. These mammals breed no more than once every three years. Pregnancy lasts about 16 months. Babies are born, as a rule, in spring or summer. The cubs are born tail first, and the mother begins to toss them up so that they take their first breath.

All other members of the flock greet the babies. When the flock moves somewhere, the mother and babies cover all the other killer whales. They reach maturity by the age of 14, although they grow very quickly. They live an average of 40 years, although some individuals can live longer, it all depends on the way of life and nutrition.

killer whales. Myth or reality? As practice shows, the animal does not consider a person as food. She can safely swim nearby and not touch him. But you should not be near fur seals or lions. Throughout history, only a few cases of killer whale attacks on humans have been recorded.

Killer whales, like dolphins, are often kept in aquariums. The show with them gathers thousands of viewers. And not smart! Killer whales are very beautiful and graceful. They can perform a lot of tricks and make high jumps.

These predators are easily trained and quickly get used to a person. But they are also vindictive. Many communities oppose captive captive killer whales. Killer whales live less in captivity than in the wild. Their life expectancy is up to 20 years.

And also various metamorphoses are happening with them: fins may disappear in males, females stop hearing. In captivity, the killer whale becomes aggressive both to humans and relatives. Despite the fact that they are fed and cared for, from performances and noise, they get stressed. All killer whales are fed with fresh fish, usually 1 time per day.

The killer whale's reputation as a bloodthirsty marine predator is skillfully used by cinema. If you are watching a movie about the sea, and the characters are in a difficult situation, expect terrible floating monsters. They will definitely attack, and the whole plot will simply switch to the use of the killer whale brand. Is this really the case, or is it all made up?

Our story about the killer whale will be a bit like dispelling myths. First of all, the first myth is the name. We initially incorrectly call this animal “killer whale”, it is correct to say “killer whale”. She was named so because of the dorsal fin of males, which looks like a sharp scythe in its shape.

In addition, since ancient times, the animal has earned itself the reputation of a merciless hunter who "mows down the victims." In the future, for some reason, they increasingly began to call her a killer whale. Both options are recorded in dictionaries as equal in rights, and scientists argued for a long time, but did not come to any opinion, as a result, they also accepted both names.

Therefore, you can find both names in different sources, but in order not to be confused, we will call them through the letter “A”. Myth two. This animal is called killer whale". First you need to find out - killer whale is a whale or a dolphin? She is not a whale, although she belongs to the order of cetaceans. And certainly not a shark, despite having a menacing dorsal fin.

Our heroine is the largest carnivorous dolphin. More precisely, it is an aquatic mammal of the suborder of toothed whales of the dolphin family. Before continuing the refutation of the myths about the killer whale, we need to get to know her a little better.

Description and features

When this underwater giant swims close to the surface of the water, and its fin on its back rises almost two meters above sea level, it becomes clear that this is a male swimming. Males are larger than females, and reach 9-10 m in length with a weight of 7.5-8 tons. The female's fin is almost half as long and curved. The average length of a female is 7-8 m, weight is about 4.5 tons.

The head of a mammal is small, with a flat forehead, without a dolphin's "beak". The eyes are also small. The teeth are massive and sharp, up to 13 cm long, with which it easily tears large prey. Pectoral flippers - 60 cm long and 15 cm wide, not pointed, but wide, closer to oval in shape.

The color is very spectacular, one might say - “tailcoat pair”. The satiny skin on the back and sides is mostly jet black, while the belly is dazzling white. Some killer whales living in Antarctica have slightly lighter sides than the back. Behind the fin on the back there is a gray spot, shaped like a saddle.

On the sides there are white spots of various configurations and sizes everywhere, there are such spots under the eyes. The shape of all the spots on the body of a killer whale is individual; it can be used to identify the animal as a person by fingerprints.

By the way, snow-white areas on the body of a mammal in some regions may be slightly greener or yellower due to coloring algae. Sometimes there are completely black individuals - melanists, or completely white - albinos.

Makes a particularly lasting impression killer whale in the photo. It is not without reason that we mentioned the whale here again, because in some pictures it is very clearly seen how an unusually beautiful, graceful and large marine animal “lets up” a small fountain of water. Just like whales do.

Kinds

Another 2 specimens can be attributed to the type of killer whales:

• Black killer whale, or small, it is also called false because of its completely black color. It is inferior to an ordinary one in size, as it grows up to 6 m in length and weighs about a ton and a half. She is much more thermophilic than her relative, and chose the waters of the temperate zone and subtropics for living.

• Ferez is a pygmy little killer whale. She has grown only up to 2 meters, eats small fish and tries not to catch the eye of a person. Painted in dark grey.

About 6-7 years old, an interesting character appeared on the Internet - white killer whale named Iceberg. She managed to shoot it twice near the Commander Islands. The footage was accompanied by a commentary that from 2008 to 2015, five such killer whales were seen in the Russian part of the Pacific Ocean. However, it has been established that this is not a new species of animal, but an albino. Most likely, the white color has become an alarming indicator of an unsuitable environment.

Lifestyle and habitat

The killer whale is found in the expanses of the World Ocean, from the tropics to the polar regions. It runs on endless seas from Antarctica to Canada and Kamchatka, and from Norway to the extreme point of South America. Especially these beautiful and dangerous dolphins fell in love with the northern Pacific waters, the south of the Bering Sea, as well as the territory off the coast of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska.

Of the seas, they also preferred the Barents and White. You rarely see them in the Mediterranean. And they are not found at all in the Laptev Sea, as well as the Black, Azov and East Siberian. On the territory of Russia, the killer whale lives near the Commander Islands and near the Kuril ridge. It prefers places where the sea is cooler, so it does not stay long in the tropics.

After a long study, ichthyologists conditionally divided these rulers of the sea into two groups: "residents", that is, permanent residents of a particular region; and "temporary" or "transit", those that ply the expanses of the ocean. There are also free-swimming predators, but they are little studied, it is not clear where they swim, what they eat, so we will not talk about them.

"Residents" form entire clans, they create married couples that do not break up for decades. They live in rather limited areas. The social structure is based on matriarchy. The female with cubs of both sexes makes up one group.

The group consists of about 15 individuals. Killer whales are very smart, they have their own social laws, each group has its own dialect. These killer whales are considered the most peaceful, if I may say so. "Transit" killer whales are less studied, they are much smaller in percentage terms than permanent ones.

They are very cautious, move almost silently, they have been given the name "silent hunters", they are impossible to detect and difficult to track. They hear on the same frequency as whales and make sounds similar to those, so they do not communicate while hunting, so as not to frighten prey. If they see a “resident”, they give way so as not to conflict.

DNA analyzes have shown that these groups have not mixed for many thousands of years. Therefore, they gradually began to differ from each other, although not very much. For example, their dorsal fins have different shapes. These groups also have different taste preferences, besides, they speak different “languages”, that is, they give different sound signals.

Nutrition

Of course, many are interested in what killer whales eat? These animals have different nutritional spectrums. Each population has rather narrow preferences. In the Norwegian seas, they are happy to catch the famous herring, and every autumn they migrate closer to the coast after it.

Next to them, other hunters specialize in pinnipeds. If we agreed, for convenience, to divide killer whales into two types - “residents and transit”, they should also be divided according to food preferences. The former are fish-eating, the latter are carnivores.

"Residents" specialize in shellfish and fish, preferring a less aggressive type of hunting. They line up in a chain and comb the expanses of the sea in search of schools of fish, while constantly keeping in touch with each other using echolocation. Having found a jamb, they surround it with the whole group and "knock" it into a ball, and then "dive" into it, getting their prey.

But the “transit killer whales” - they are precisely the cruel fast predators. Their hunt is like a sudden march designed to grab the most delicious and nutritious food. Most often, their victims are gray seals and northern eared seals, known to us as sea ​​lions, or Steller's northern sea ​​lions(named after the doctor Georg Steller, who went on expeditions under the command of Bering and was the first to describe these animals).

Killer whales go hunting for an ordinary seal in three or four, drive the victim and kill it with powerful tails. For Steller's lions, they are going to hunt already five or six of them. They can pursue prey for up to 2-3 hours, but still achieve the desired result - after powerful blows with their tails, they drown the victim.

A whole “gang” is already going to giant whales. The killers surround the colossus and begin to wear him down, bringing him to insensibility. The following incident was described: off the coast of California, thirty killer whales surrounded a 20-meter blue whale and slaughtered it.

Someone hit him on the head with his tail, others tried to hit him on the sides, some jumped on his back or dived from below. A well-organized robbery attack. Finally, they began to tear his flesh. It was dangerous and pointless to intervene in this process. It is impossible to stop killer whales during the hunt.

sea ​​lions, as Canadian ichthyologists have found out, have greatly decreased in number over the past decades. If in the 80s of the last century there were several hundred thousand, now there are barely about thirty thousand. Nothing strange, only recently people announced a moratorium on their hunting. But killer whales do not know this.

The meat of these animals is very juicy and tender, there is a lot of it, each specimen weighs up to a ton. Voracious predators appreciated the taste of sea lions and significantly reduced their population. However, in addition to seals and sea lions, other objects of killer whale hunting can be named.

In the stomachs of the captured predators, the remains of sea turtles, penguins, polar bears and even victims, strange for a water hunter, were found - moose! However, despite such omnivorousness, hunters sometimes show themselves to be gourmets and love to eat sea otters, or in another way. sea ​​otters.

We also know these animals as sea and Kamchatka beavers. They are covered with thick hair, only killer whales do not spoil their appetite. The weight of the sea otter is 16-40kg, very convenient and compact to swallow whole. In order to get enough, she needs to eat about 7 animals daily.

One killer whale per year is capable of swallowing about 2000 of these marine animals if it hunts them daily. As a result, the number of sea otters has also dropped markedly over three decades, despite the fact that hunting for them is limited for people.

Reproduction and lifespan

Family ties within the same group do not allow these giants to mate within the pack. Therefore, individuals of different clans enter into marriage. Puberty comes at 12-14 years of age. The breeding season begins in the summer and is necessarily accompanied by a beautiful dance.

The "gallant gentleman" literally "surrounds" his girlfriend with attention, floating around her. He touches her with all parts of his body - fins, nose, tail, making these movements inexpressibly tender and touching. It happens that the boyfriend gives souvenirs to his chosen one - various items from the sea, corals or shells.

Moreover, the female can store these gifts for a long time. Finally, everything is in the past - and many hours of courtship, and even jealous skirmishes with other males, the process of mating "belly to belly" has taken place, and now the expectant mother begins the long process of bearing. It lasts 16-18 months.

At this time, the whole flock takes care of her and protects her. The “baby” is born already of a decent size, about 2.5 -2.7 m. After the child “fell” into the water, the “retinue” leaves the mother and cub alone, giving them the opportunity to communicate in private. At first, a small dolphin hangs helplessly in the water, but then a parent comes to the rescue.

She pushes him to the surface of the water with her nose so that he takes a breath of air and his lungs work. The female gives birth about once every 5 years. During her life, she can give birth to 6-7 "iris". About 40-50 years old, the “lady” has a sexual lull, she is no longer able to give birth, and goes into the category of “matrona”.

Killer whales and pilot whales (black dolphins) are the only species of animals that, like humans, meet old age among relatives. And in an atmosphere of great respect. They go through menopause and continue to live and hunt for decades.

“Men” live up to 50 years, and “old ladies” live up to 75-80, even up to 100 years. In captivity, these terms are reduced by half or three times. Never, under any circumstances, "residents" do not mate with "transit" individuals. This is another indicator for dividing them into separate groups.

Why is a killer whale called a killer whale?

To figure it out why killer whale, you need to immerse yourself in history a little. In the 18th century, the Spaniards called this huge dolphin "killer whales" - "asesina ballenas", and the British incorrectly translated from Spanish into their own language, and it turned out "killer whale" - "killer whale". So we got the third myth. In fact, their temper is different, just like ours. They have their own "homebodies" and "tramps".

"Homebodies" - a quality inherent in "resident" killer whales. They do not like to eat warm-blooded creatures and do not show aggression towards humans and other mammals.

"Vagabonds" is a trait close to "transit" killer whales. Most likely, an ominous fame went about them, as about the killers. Not even because they are ready to kill any creature in the sea. First of all, they are so called because, like real robbers, they kill more victims than they can eat. If they kill a whale, and are not able to immediately eat the whole carcass, they eat only some parts of the body, those that are tastier and softer (tongue, lips, etc.).

Killer whales have no worthy opponents in the ocean depths. Even the formidable and ferocious white shark is not a competitor to it, but prey. It sounds absurd, but it's true: the only enemy of the terrible white predator is the orca dolphin.

Every year, scientists find traces of her teeth on the body of different animals, and many have suffered more than once. More than a third of humpback whales, and each of them is equal to 10 elephants in weight, received scar marks from the teeth of predators.

And flocks of migratory gray whales and minke whales (northern minke whales) are constantly in danger due to the attack of a merciless hunter, and the ending for them is often sad, as evidenced by the skeletons of animals found on the shore.

Her bloodthirstiness was noted by the ancients. Many marine animals, even the beluga whales that are close to them by kinship, suffer greatly from killer whales. Needless to say, if such a giant as the Greenland whale shamefully runs away from her, sometimes to the displeasure of the whalers who came out to hunt him.

The only enemy of the killer whale itself is man. Of course, commercial fishing on them was banned in 1982. But this does not apply to indigenous peoples, and their hunting for killer whales, as well as catching for scientific purposes.

But here's what turned out after observing and studying the behavior of these animals - the killer whale is curious, but in its natural environment, a person does not irritate it, and there have been no cases of attacks on a person in the sea. So the fourth myth is debunked that she is a terrible monster, "death in the middle of the sea." She only attacks for food. Killing other animals just like that is unusual for her.

In captivity, she can show aggression, but only if she is hungry or injured. In dolphinariums they are kept with seals and dolphins in one place and trained together. At the same time, they are fed well. So far, no horror stories have been officially recorded. There were rumors about the attack on the trainer, but no one provided the details of this story.

• Killer whales have a social status close to our "grandmother". Old females, no longer able to reproduce, bring up young animals, teaching them the wisdom of life: they drive the basics of hunting tactics, migration routes, and the location of the fairway into the “youths” head. Yes, a lot of things need to have time to “tell” the young, while the middle generation is on the hunt.
• The killer whale is considered one of the most compassionate creatures. Not only do young individuals take care of the elderly, help the sick and wounded, they also share the brought prey among the whole group. That is, little by little, but everyone should have enough!
• Before going hunting in an unknown place, killer whales “sonify” it, conduct sonar with ultrasound. They must see if they can maneuver off the unknown coast with their large bodies.
• On the hunt, they are extremely inventive, they have their own approach to each victim. For someone you can “run” for a longer time across the sea, apparently enjoying the walk, but it’s better to attack someone with a “ram”. Over millions of years, the skull of these animals has become so strong that they can afford such a maneuver. It is surprising that they anatomically accurately guess the weak point of the unfortunate - the gills, head or stomach.
• Interestingly, there is also a fish called "killer whale" of the killer whale family of the catfish order. It is also called the "creaker" due to the fact that it makes loud creaking sounds when it is caught from the water.