Your journey into the amazing world of killer whales!
Orcas (also called killer whales, even though they're actually dolphins!) are some of the most incredible creatures on Earth. Let's discover what makes them so special!
💡 Tip: Click on the "🔍 Deeper Dive" sections to learn even more fascinating details!
Why do male dorsal fins sometimes bend or collapse in captivity?
In the wild, less than 1% of male orcas have collapsed dorsal fins. But in captivity, almost ALL adult males have bent or collapsed fins. Scientists think this happens because:
Orca Teeth:
Orcas have the second-largest brain of any animal on Earth!
The Mirror Test:
When scientists put a mark on an orca and show them a mirror, the orca investigates the mark on their OWN body - proving they know the reflection is themselves! Only a few animals pass this test:
Cultural Learning:
Orcas pass down knowledge through generations - this is called "culture." Each pod has:
When an old matriarch dies, the pod loses decades of knowledge that can never be replaced!
Every orca family has their own unique "language" called a dialect!
Orcas use clicks, whistles, and pulsed calls to communicate. Each pod has calls that are unique to their family - like an accent!
Three Types of Orca Sounds:
How Echolocation Works:
Orcas send out clicks through a fatty organ in their forehead called the "melon." The sound bounces off objects and returns to their jaw, which sends the information to their brain. They can "see" the size, shape, speed, and even the internal organs of their prey!
Dialects:
Related pods share some calls (like cousins sharing an accent), but each pod also has unique calls. Scientists can identify which pod an orca belongs to just by listening! When pods meet, they seem to "compare notes" on their calls.
Every orca has unique markings - like human fingerprints!
How Scientists Identify Individual Orcas:
Different Ecotype Markings:
Different orca populations around the world look slightly different:
Scientists have discovered that there are different "ecotypes" of orcas - they look similar but have different diets, languages, and cultures!
Diet: Fish lovers! Especially salmon.
Personality: Social and chatty - they love to vocalize!
Family: Stay with their mothers for life.
Famous pods: The Southern Residents (J, K, L pods) near Seattle.
Diet: Marine mammals like seals and sea lions.
Personality: Quiet hunters - they're stealthy!
Family: Smaller groups that travel widely.
Cool fact: They're the ones you see hunting in dramatic nature documentaries!
Diet: Sharks and large fish!
Personality: Mysterious - we're still learning about them.
Where: Far out in the ocean, rarely seen near shore.
Cool fact: Their teeth are worn down from eating rough shark skin!
Incredible Hunting Strategies by Different Orca Types:
🎯 Carousel Feeding (Norwegian Orcas):
Norwegian orcas work together to herd herring into a tight ball. They swim in circles around the fish, blowing bubbles to scare them. Then they SLAP the ball with their tails, stunning many fish at once to eat!
🏖️ Wave Washing (Antarctic Orcas):
When seals hide on ice floes, orcas work as a team to create waves that wash the seal off the ice and into the water where they can catch it. They coordinate perfectly!
🏄 Beach Hunting (Patagonian Orcas):
These orcas ride waves ONTO the beach to grab sea lion pups, then wiggle back into the water. Mother orcas spend YEARS teaching this dangerous technique to their young using practice beaches!
🤫 Why Are Transients So Quiet?
Seals and sea lions can hear underwater! So Transient orcas stay almost completely silent while hunting. They only celebrate loudly AFTER making a catch. Residents eating fish don't need to be quiet since salmon can't hear them well.
In the wild, orcas can live incredibly long lives!
The "Grandmother Hypothesis":
Female orcas stop having babies around age 40 but can live another 40-60 years! Why? Scientists discovered that grandmother orcas are CRUCIAL for pod survival:
Why Do Males Live Shorter Lives?
Male orcas depend heavily on their mothers even as adults. When a mother dies, her adult son is MORE likely to die than her adult daughter. Scientists found that mothers even share fish with their adult sons! This "mama's boy" behavior may mean males don't develop the same survival skills as females.
Only 5 Species Have Menopause:
Orcas have strong family bonds! Many of the orcas in aquariums are related to each other. Click on any orca to learn more about them!
Every orca in Japan is descended from one orca: Stella, captured from Iceland in 1987. She's the grandmother of them all!
In 2016, Ran was separated from her mother Stella and moved to a different aquarium. For 8 long years, they lived apart. Then in April 2024, Ran was transferred to Kobe Suma Sea World where Stella was living. Mother and daughter were finally reunited! Imagine not seeing your mom for 8 years and then getting to be with her again.
Many SeaWorld orcas are related too! Here are some family connections:
Trua was separated from his mother Takara when he was only 3 years old. In the wild, male orcas stay with their mothers their entire lives! Takara was moved to San Antonio while Trua stayed in Orlando. Even though they're in the same country, they haven't seen each other in over 15 years.
Wikie and her son Keijo are the last orcas in France. The park closed in January 2025, and the French government has decided they should be moved to an ocean sanctuary in Canada where they can feel real ocean water for the first time! They might be transferred as early as summer 2026. Wikie is famous for being able to copy human words - she can say "hello" and "bye bye"!
Let's learn about how orcas live in the wild and compare it to life in marine parks.
Where: Pacific Northwest - Puget Sound (Washington State) and British Columbia
Population: Only about 73 orcas remain - they're endangered!
Famous members:
What they eat: Chinook salmon - but the salmon are disappearing, which is why these orcas are endangered.
Where: Northern Norway, especially around Tromsø
Cool fact: They follow the herring migration and use a special "carousel feeding" technique where they herd fish into a tight ball!
Best time to see them: Winter months (November-January) when the herring come to the fjords.
Where: Waters around New Zealand
Population: About 150-200 orcas
Special diet: They're famous for eating stingrays! They flip the rays upside down to make them go into a trance-like state.
Where: Península Valdés, Argentina
Famous for: Intentional stranding! They ride waves onto the beach to catch sea lions, then wiggle back into the water. Only a few orca families know this risky technique!
Learning: Mother orcas spend YEARS teaching their calves this dangerous hunting method on safe practice beaches before attempting the real thing.
Understanding how orcas live in the wild helps us understand why there's so much discussion about orcas in captivity:
Wild orcas swim 40-100 miles daily. Even the largest marine park tank would require an orca to swim around it 1,400 times to equal what they'd swim in one day in the wild.
Wild orcas never leave their mothers. In captivity, orcas are sometimes separated from their families and moved to different parks.
In the wild, less than 1% of male orcas have collapsed dorsal fins. In captivity, almost all adult males have collapsed or bent fins, likely from swimming in circles and spending time at the surface.
Wild female orcas can live 80-100 years. Captive orcas often live shorter lives, though some have lived into their 50s with modern care.
Some people are working on creating ocean sanctuaries - protected sea coves where orcas who can't be released to the wild could live in a more natural environment:
This sanctuary is being built to give whales and dolphins a more natural life in a protected ocean cove. It could open as early as 2026 and may become the new home for Wikie and Keijo from France!
Features planned: 100+ acres of protected ocean water, natural seafloor, tides and currents, ability to see the sky and experience weather.
Test your knowledge about orcas! There are 6 different quiz topics to master. Complete them all to become a true Orca Expert!
Even though you're young, there are LOTS of things you can do to help orcas and other ocean animals. Every action counts!
The more you learn about orcas, the more you can teach others! Share cool facts with your friends and family. You're already doing this by exploring this website!
Ask your parents to buy seafood that's sustainably caught. Overfishing hurts the fish that orcas need to eat, especially salmon for the Southern Residents.
Plastic pollution hurts ocean animals. Use reusable water bottles, say no to plastic straws, and help clean up beaches if you live near the coast!
All water eventually flows to the ocean. Using less water and keeping waterways clean helps orcas and all marine life.
Walk, bike, or take public transport when you can. Climate change is warming the oceans and affecting the fish that orcas eat.
Write to politicians about protecting oceans and marine life. Young voices are powerful! You could also do a school project about orcas.
Make orca art, write stories, or create videos about why orcas are amazing. Creative projects help spread awareness!
If you ever go whale watching, choose a company that follows guidelines to keep distance from the whales and not disturb them.
Here are some organizations doing great work for orcas that you can learn more about:
If you love orcas, maybe you could study them when you grow up! Marine biologists study ocean animals and help protect them. Here's how to start: