Stereotypes Of Orcas Or Killer Whales

Orcinus orca, also known as Orcas or Killer whales, are the largest dolphins, and one of the world’s most powerful and intelligent predators. They are part of the family Delphindae and the order Cetacea. Male orcas grow to an average of 20-26 feet long, and weigh from 8,000-12,000 pounds. While females can grow to an average of 16-23 feet long, and weigh between 3,00-6,000 pounds. Presently, there are three recognized ecotypes of Orcas; these include the Resident, Transient, and offshore orcas. The ecotypes differ in morphology, ecology, behavior, and genetics. Orcas are also considered one of the most widely distributed mammals, with their geographic distribution ranging from the North Atlantic, Pacific Ocean and the Antarctic. Although they
They live in matriarchal societies where the oldest female is the head of the pod. Because of this strict matriarchal society, the different pods of Orcas rarely, if ever, interact with one another; this can then cause a low genetic variation in the species and possibly a bottleneck affect. In addition to the low interactions between pods, the calves never leave their mothers, including the males. This only adds to the issue at hand. Furthermore, because Orcas are highly sociable within their pods, they rely heavily on producing whistles, clicks, and pulsed calls for communication. It has been determined that echolocation clicks are used for detecting and identifying prey and navigation. While the whistles and pulsed calls are known to be used for communication during social activities, and even have multiple harmonics (NOAA Fisheries 2016). The most interesting fact about this is that different pods of orcas have their own unique
Orcas are a polygamous species and may have multiple partners. Although in contrast to this, there has never been a documented case of Orcas inbreeding due to their tendency to not interact with other pods. This fact implies that orcas are aware of who is closely related to them, and who isn’t. Scientists believe that they can identify their family members by dialect. There is no known pattern in the reproductive cycle of a female orca, and they can be ready to mate several times a year. Female Orcas do not become sexually mature until age fifteen and can only bear a calf every five years. Although, it has been documented that females can even go up to ten years without giving birth to a calf. The gestation period also last fifteen to eighteen months, and once born the calves can nurse for up to two years. A female’s average number of offspring is one, but they can have up to five calves in their lifetime and are only reproductive until forty. Unfortunately, calf mortality is extremely high at roughly 37-50% and little is known as to