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Killer whale is one of the amazing and unique inhabitants of the sea. Sometimes there is debate about how to spell this word. In fact, there is a bird with a similar name, which must be written through "a". This is a killer whale bird. A killer whale is called a whale.
These animals are very beautiful in appearance, but it is important to remember that they are ferocious predators, representing no less danger than a white shark. These whales are distinguished by their very aggressive nature, their behavior is unpredictable.
The appearance of killer whales is very attractive. The body is shaped like a dolphin. It is elongated, dense. The color of these animals is black and white. But in size they are much larger than dolphins. The length of the killer whale body can reach 10 m; in some males, the fin length reaches about 1.5 m. They have a relatively short head of a somewhat flat shape. To break prey, these predators have powerful teeth that grow in 2 rows.
All representatives of the species have white spots above the eyes. In almost every individual, they have an individual shape. It is by the appearance of this spot that one animal can be distinguished from the rest. Despite their danger, these inhabitants of the oceans are very beautiful. There are 3 types of these animals: large, small (or black), as well as dwarf.
Where dwells
The favorite habitat of these predators is the Arctic Ocean. A lot of them are also in the North Atlantic. Moreover, representatives of the species live in warm waters only in summer.
They swim very fast and well. They often swim to the shores. Swim into the bays, staying there for a long enough time. There are cases when people saw killer whales even in rivers. Their favorite habitat is the coastal zone, where many fur seals swim. Today, science cannot determine how many individuals of this species live on our planet. It is estimated that today there are about 100,000 representatives. At the same time, scientists calculated that most of them live in the waters of the Antarctic. This is about 75-80% of all killer whales in the world.
Lifestyle
These animals prefer the herd lifestyle. Usually in one herd of killer whales there are up to 20 animals. They almost always try to be near. Alone orca can be found quite rarely. If we see a lonely individual, most likely it is a weakened animal.
Killer whale herds can be quite small. For example, a family consisting of parents and their children.
A larger herd may include several males. The rest are females. It is noteworthy that the male during his life can repeatedly go to another family. But females never do that. They have been living in the same herd all their lives. If it becomes numerous, then several of its representatives are simply eliminated.
Character
These animals are distinguished by their mobility, which makes them even more like dolphins. They love to play in the water. During the pursuit of the victim, killer whales do not jump out, but remain in it. Therefore, if you see that killer whales jump out, turn over - it means they play. If they had seen prey in you, they would not have done it.
Usually they are very attracted to the sound that a motor boat makes. Hearing him, the killer whale can chase it for a very long time. These inhabitants of the oceans and seas are able to sail at a speed of 55 km / h.
In the herd, they behave peacefully, friendly and restrained. They are very friendly with each other.If one of the members of the herd is suddenly injured, others will certainly help him. They do not abandon their companions to die. Even if someone attacks a weak animal, they will defend it. Although such situations are very rare.
Such friendliness is manifested only in relation to their own. That is, to those individuals who are in the same herd. These mammals are aggressive towards other inhabitants of the sea, as well as to other killer whales, which are part of another herd.
They hunt together, and then play together, jumping over the surface of the water and tumbling.
Representatives of this species have no enemies in nature. Their only enemy is hunger. Large individuals are especially affected by it. These whales are not suitable for feeding small fish. In addition, the tactics of their hunting are completely unsuitable for such prey. It is very difficult to catch a killer whale. And such a prey a large animal does not get enough.
Reproduction and nutrition
Orca food depends on what type it belongs to. They are of two types: settled and transit. The diet of the sedentary, as a rule, includes various mollusks, fish. They also like to eat squid. Sometimes they eat fur seal cubs. They do not feed on their own kind. A feature of settled killer whales is that they always live in the same area. They can sail to another place only during the breeding season.
But transit killer whales in their behavior differ from settled ones. They are super predators. They are moved in small herds, in which there are no more than 6 representatives. Together they attack large inhabitants of the ocean. Their victims are whales and even sharks. Often attack dolphins. The killer whale easily defeats the shark in battle. She grabs her and carries her to the bottom, where, together with her brethren, she tears to pieces.
Puberty occurs at 8 years. But they do not breed annually. They produce offspring every 3 years, and sometimes even less often. The female pregnancy lasts 16 months. Cubs are usually born in summer or spring. They are born forward tail light. Immediately after this, the mother throws them into the air so that the baby can breathe for the first time. The rest of the pack greets them. When they move from place to place, mother and calves are always protected by relatives.
Depending on the method of nutrition and lifestyle, killer whales have different lifespan. On average, it is about 40 years, but can last even longer.
Captivity
They can often be seen in the aquarium. Shows with their participation are very interesting for both adults and children. After all, these animals are attractive and graceful. They jump, perform various tricks. They are easy to train, get used to people. But they are notorious.
Conservationists often oppose captive maintenance of these marine life. After all, they live in such conditions much less. In addition, in captivity, hearing may disappear or fins disappear. The animal has a more aggressive behavior. Performances and noise made by the audience cause stress.
Video: killer whale (Orcinus orca)
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