The Orca also known as the Killer Whale or the scientific name Orcinus orca is .
It is the largest member of the dolphin family. Killer whales are mostly black .
white mostly on the bottom of their stomachs or lower surface, but can also be seen on other .
parts of their bodies. Male whales have straight, tall (up to 6 foot) dorsal or fins, while females .
have shorter (3 foot) sickle shaped dorsal fins. Killer whales have 46 to 50 cone-shaped teeth that .
interlock and are used to tear and grasp. The Orca uses spyhopping ( a vertical position using tail .
to keep it upright) to get a better view of its surroundings .
Habitat.
Killer Whales or Orcas live in oceans all over the world. They mostly live in the cold, icy .
waters approximately 52 degrees, this is cold enough to kill a person. But according to the basic .
laws of geometry, an Orca has a smaller proportion of heat-dissipating, or heat scattering, skin .
surface per unit of volume than a smaller body, allowing Orcas inch of fat or blubber around their .
large bodies to conserve their own body heat.
They sometimes swim into river mouths, but they are also seen as far as a thousand miles .
from land. Orcas mostly prefer to live in deeper parts of the ocean but are found in shallow bays, .
inland seas, and estuaries, a water passage where the tide meets a river current. Orcas have no .
regular patterns of migration. They move when ice cover is high latitudes and to find food in other .
places.
Unfortunately most almost 50% of the world population of Orcas live in captivity for health or safety reasons. And sometimes they spend out there entire life period in captivity. Scientists even added the captivity of Orcas to the list of habitats.
Reproduction cycle.
Female Orcas give birth after a gestation, period of one year. The young Orca is about 7 feet long and weighs 300 pounds at birth and will nurse for about 18 months, the calf depends on the mother for food and protection.
