

Killer
Whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. Killer whales occur in more
parts of the world than probably any other cetacean. They are the fiercest sea
mammals.

Above: a female Killer Whale
searching for her calf.
Killer
Whales live in all oceans, both in the open ocean and close to shore, but are
more common in the colder waters around Antarctica.
Killer Whales are black in appearance, with
striking white patches above the eye and from their lower jaw to their belly.
The males are larger than the females, with the females reaching lengths of up
to 8.5m (28ft) and males reaching lengths of up to 9.8m (32ft). They have a
triangular dorsal fin in the middle of their back. They have large oval
flippers.
Left: a female with
her calf.
Killer Whales swim in groups of about 2 to 50.
They feed on fish, squid, marine birds, pinniped, seals, penguins, porpoises,
blue whales and other marine animals. Killer Whales generally co-operate during
hunting especially when feed on warm-blooded animals such as penguins and
porpoises. A female Killer Whale gives birth to a single 16 or 17 months after
mating. The calf is then nursed for 14 to 18 months.

Above: a Killer
Whale that
Was taken from
his group.
In my opinion the Killer Whale is the best sea
creature ever. It has no predators, but it is a predator to basically every marine
animal.
· Internet
· Site Name: Encarta Online
· URL: www.encarta.com
