{"id":2567,"date":"2007-07-30T08:20:00","date_gmt":"2007-07-30T08:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whalewatchingazores.com\/blog\/2007\/07\/30\/orcakiller-whale\/"},"modified":"2020-02-11T16:38:02","modified_gmt":"2020-02-11T17:38:02","slug":"orcakiller-whale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whalewatchingazores.com\/blog\/orcakiller-whale\/","title":{"rendered":"Orca\/Killer whale fact sheet"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/a>Orcas are the largest\u00a0members of the\u00a0<\/span>dolphin family. Also\u00a0referred to as killer whales because they kill and\u00a0<\/span>feed on whales, as well as\u00a0other types of prey (including other dolphins, seals, penguins and other birds, turtles, rays, sharks and other fish). Their preferred diet depends on the type of social group\u00a0(resident or transient) and location. Orcas are highly intelligent animals that\u00a0have adapted to <\/span>specialised<\/span> and cooperative\u00a0hunting techniques to capture various species including sharks, seals,
\ndolphins, and whales much larger then themselves. Orcas have been recorded\u00a0swimming at speeds up to 54 km\/hr, among the fastest of all cetaceans. The orca\u00a0is the most widely distributed of the cetaceans, being found around the globe\u00a0from pole to pole. They are typically found in very social family groups that\u00a0have unique dialects specific to their area.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Orcas can attack\u00a0young sperm whales, but this is not often observed in the Azores as they pass
\nby the islands only\u00a0occasionally. We recorded orcas hunting and killing a fin whale<\/a><\/i> in 2007, and\u00a0<\/span>on our<\/span>\u00a0orca sightings in 2012 and 2013 we saw males taking loggerhead turtles<\/a><\/i> (see video below).<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Length:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>
\n\u2022\u00a0<\/span>Male: 9.8 m<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022\u00a0<\/span>Female<\/span>: 8.5 m<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022\u00a0<\/span>Calf<\/span>: 2.1 \u2013 2.6 m<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Weight:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>
\n\u2022\u00a0<\/span>Male: 10,000 kg<\/span>
\n\u2022\u00a0<\/span>Calf<\/span>: 200 kg<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Global population:\u00a0<\/b>c.50,000\u00a0<\/span>(population trend unknown)<\/p>\n
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Status:<\/b>\u00a0Data Deficient<\/span><\/div>\n
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Diet:\u00a0<\/b><\/span>Fish (including sharks), cephalopods, marine mammals, turtles, seabirds<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Teeth:\u00a0<\/b><\/span>40\u00a0\u2013 52<\/span>
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Longevity:\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/span>
\n\u2022\u00a0<\/span>Male: 50 years<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2022\u00a0<\/span>Female: 90+ years<\/span>
\n<\/b><\/span>
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Breeding age:\u00a0<\/b><\/span>10\u00a0\u2013 18 years<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Gestation:\u00a0<\/b><\/span>11 \u2013 16 months<\/span>
\n<\/b><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Nursing:\u00a0<\/b><\/span>12 months<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In other languages<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Portuguese: Orca, baleia-assassino<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Spanish: Orca<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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French: Orque \u00c9paulard<\/span>
\nItalian: Orca<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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German: Orca, Schwertzwal<\/span>
\nDutch: O<\/span>rka,\u00a0zwaardwalvis<\/div>\n
Swedish: Orca, sp\u00e4ckhuggare
\nNorwegian: Spekkhogger<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Danish: Sp\u00e6khugger<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Finnish: Miekkavalas
\nPolish: Orka<\/p>\n
Russian: Kasatka<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Photo ID (same male in sighted off S\u00e3o Miguel, Azores in January and April 2013)\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

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Snapshots from video below (April orcas)<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Orcas are the largest\u00a0members of the\u00a0dolphin family. 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