Recently, the killer whale (orca) was sighted off the coasts of the Farasan Islands, west of the Jazan area, sparking curiosity about its weight, colors, reproduction methods, and increased search interest, according to Tawasul Newspaper.
Size, Physical Characteristics
Firstly, female killer whales average 8.5 meters in length and 7.5 tons in weight. Moreover, males are larger, reaching up to 9.8 meters and nearly 10 tons. Secondly, newborns are roughly 2 meters long, weighing between 150 to 200 kg. The whale’s head is notably large and round.
Additionally, its dorsal fin, triangular and pointed, is located mid-back. This fin reaches up to 2 meters in males. Conversely, in females and young whales, it’s slightly curved and about 0.9 meters long.
Distinctive Features,Teeth
The whale’s pectoral fins are elongated and circular. Its tail fin, large and split in the middle, is black above and white below, measuring about 2 meters. Each jaw houses 10 to 14 pairs of sharp, wide teeth. The whale’s back is black, marked with distinctive spots.
These include a small, oval white spot behind each eye, a grayish-white saddle-like patch behind the dorsal fin, and a large white patch extending from the lower jaw to the tail’s underside. This patch is long and narrow in males, and almost round and wide in females.
Subspecies, Variations
Finally, killer whales’ spot colors, placements, and sizes vary by subspecies. In the northeast Pacific Ocean, they are classified into resident, migratory, and oceanic types. These types differ in color, body mass, and dorsal fin size. Antarctic whales are also divided into three types, differing in size and body spot colors. Killer whales can spout water 1 to 2 meters high.
What Does the Killer Whale Eat?
Dominating the top of the food chain, the killer whale is the largest predatory animal in the oceans, feeding on a variety of prey including fish (sharks, bluefin tuna, halibut, herring, salmon), cephalopods (squid and octopus), sea turtles, and marine mammals (seals, sea lions, elephant seals, otters, dolphins, porpoises, beluga whales, sperm whales, minke whales, and other whales), as well as seabirds like penguins. On average, a killer whale consumes about 45 kg of food daily, but they can eat much more.
Do Killer Whales Attack Humans?
There have been no recorded cases of killer whales attacking humans in the wild. However, in captivity, there have been several attacks on trainers, ranging from minor to fatal incidents, resulting in injuries or drowning.
One of the most recent incidents was the attack of the killer whale Tilikum on trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010 at the SeaWorld Orlando in Florida.
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