Whale Facts

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Ten Cool Facts About Killer Whales

1. Killer whales are the largest members of the dolphin family.

2. Killer whales are black and white with a sleek, streamlined body. They have two flippers and a dorsal fin.

3. There are three types of killer whales: resident killer whales, transient killer whales and off shore killer whales.
The three types have never been seen mixing. Not much is known about off shore killer whales as they are not
often seen in coastal waters.

4. Resident killer whales travel in specific areas in close knit pods of up to 50 individuals. They are related to each
other maternally.

5. Transient killer whales travel in unpredictable patterns and travel alone or in small groups of up to 7. They may
be related, but often are not.

6. Resident killer whales eat mostly salmon. They tend to ignore marine mammals such as seals, porpoises and sea
lions. Transient killer whales eat mostly marine mammals and sea birds.

7. Killer whales most common activity is foraging for food. They travel great distances and often stop for rests.

8. Killer whales have various social behaviours. They include breeching, spy hopping, beach rubbing and flipper slapping.

9. Killer whales communicate using vocalizations. They also use echolocation - clicking - to locate their prey.
They have excellent hearing and vision in and out of the water.

10. Killer whales are known to live into their 40's and possibly as old as 60. Some females have lived to be 60 to 80
years old!