In humans, the killer whale has the same black and white reputation as the color of its skin. Many call this mammal of the dolphin family a killer whales. Russian sea hunters defined this king of the ocean by his fin sticking up like a braid, “killer whale”, although it is customary to call him “killer whale” in scientific Russian-speaking circles. The Latin name assigned to him by Linnaeus sounds like Orcinus orca. These animals are very mysterious, but those scientists who deal with them claim that killer whales are unusually smart, sociable animals, but with their own burrow. Messages about cannibalism were overly exaggerated.
Killer whales live in all oceans and seas, with the exception of inland ones. They prefer cooler waters to tropical. This giant has been known to people for a long time. The first to be described by Pliny the Elder (1st century AD): “This is a huge mountain of flesh, equipped with terrifying teeth, a storm of other whales that attacks them and pierces them like a military ram.” Yes, despite the fact that the killer whale is inferior in size to the largest animal on the planet - the blue whale, it even fearlessly attacks him.
The dimensions of the killer whale are really impressive. Females reach a length of seven meters and a weight of four tons, and males even more: 10 meters and 8 tons. The modest sizes of the ladies do not interfere with their leadership: strict flocks of killer whales reign supreme matriarchy. It is interesting that males never leave their mothers with age, while daughters, having reached a considerable age, can sometimes leave their native clan with some other members to establish a new flock. The family is headed by an elderly “matriarchine”, surrounded by children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces. Life expectancy in males is 50 years, and females live much longer - an average of 75 years.
The killer whale has an extremely low birth rate. Females up to thirty years of age are little interested in the opposite sex, and at 40-50 they have lost this interest. For 10-15 years, during which the active reproductive period lasts, the female gives birth to a not very large number of whales, since the pregnancy lasts 16 months. A little less than half of all cubs die before they reach the age of one year. Flocks always reign in peace. Fighting for a female or a male has never been seen; healthy individuals support the sick and old. Even encounters of different packs never lead to clashes over prey or territory. In the northern part of the Pacific Ocean it is often possible to meet completely black (melanists) and white (albinos) individuals, which the flock does not drive out, like a “white raven”.
Killer whales have from 40 to 48 teeth up to 12 cm long. The killer whale hunts, showing great ingenuity and the ability to strategic thinking. Members of the flock can line up, in a column, go from the flanks. Taking advantage of the herring’s desire to pile together, carnivorous dolphins from different sides condense this fish ball, and then begin to hammer on it with its tail, stunning the fish. When the prey pops up, the feast begins. Killer whales can “land” on land, gliding on their belly along the beach or ice floe to catch resting seals and seals. If the whales see that there are penguins or pinnipeds on a small iceberg, they simply “shake them off” by hitting their head on the ice. Each large family has its own dietary preferences: some hunt for shoals of herring, while others hunt for pinnipeds.
A killer whale attacks a person rarely and only for self-defense. In aquariums, they established themselves as animals easily tamed and with artistic abilities. Now in the world's aquariums contain about 60 individuals. In captivity, a kitten was first born in 1985 (Florida). Since 1946, the killer whale began to be protected, but in some countries, for example, in Japan, the killer whale continues to hunt.