Killer whales belong to the dolphin family and it is known as blackfish. Killer whales are one of the largest and oldest species in dolphin family. It consists of almost thirty-five species. Killer whales are found in the oceans across the globe, including the Polar Regions. The killer whales are classified into five groups as per their distribution, physical characteristics, and the type of food they eat. One of the best locations for killer whale watching is off Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

Appearance

Killer Whales are easily predictable due to their remarkable black and white bloom, and a glossy, modernized body shape.

The dorsal fin acts as a keel and almost certainly helps to become stable a killer whale. The dorsal fins of male killer whales are the tallest of any cetacean in the world, growing up to 1.8 m. female are smaller at about 0.9 to 1.2 m.

Male killer whales begin growing at 12 to 14 years of age and over the next few years, grow very rapidly and reach substantial maturity at about 20 years. Most males probably reach a length of 8 to 9 m. Females average about 7 m in length and reach reproductive maturity at about 14 to 15 years.

Types of Killer Whales

Formerly, three types were familiar during the 1970s, but afterward three more from the glacial were added to the list. According to the previous sorting, killer whales are of three types - resident, transient and offshore.

Resident killer whales are the most normally seen in the midst of the three types in the northeast Pacific. They are seen in groups.

Transient killer whales are frequently seen in small groups and are more attached to each other.

Offshore killer whales and are set up in open waters. They move around in large groups, comprising of almost 60 members.

What do Killer Whales Eat?

1. Lively killer whales are lacking any hesitation top predators in the ocean and they are the major predator of warm-blooded animals ever known.

2. Fishes, squids, seals, sea lions, walruses, birds, sea turtles, otters, penguins, cetaceans polar bears, reptiles, they have all been found in the stomach contents of killer whales.

3. The diets of killer whales be different from one region to another.

a. The Antarctic, killer whales have about 67% fishes, 27% marine mammals, and 6% squids.

b. The Bering Sea near Alaska, they consume about 65% fishes, 20% squids, and 15% marine mammals.

c. Adult killer whales eat in the order of 3% to 4% of their body weight in food per day.

Types of Prey

The research is enduring on the topic of the feeding ecosystem of killer whales, they are known as the 'wolves of the sea' for their hunting habits. A typical killer whale needs approximately 230 kilograms of food every day. Their food includes fish, aquatic mammals and birds. Around 30 species of fish are tremendous by the killer whales who feed on fish. This includes salmon, herring, tuna, whale sharks, basking sharks, etc. There are instance of the killer whales feed on great white sharks, and octopuses. They also eat squids, sea turtles, and some reptiles.

They also give food to on marine mammals like sea lions, seals, fur seals, walruses and sea otters. They are also found do violence to worldly mammals swimming between islands. While there are cases of confined killer whales violent humans, there are no such reported cases concerning the wild ones.