Killer+Whale+Information

=__ Killer Whales __=
 * Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful predators.
 * They feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches (ten centimeters) long.
 * They are known to grab seals right off the ice.
 * They also eat fish, squid, and seabirds.
 * Though they often frequent cold, coastal waters, orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator.
 * Killer whales hunt in deadly pods, family groups of up to 40 individuals.
 * There appear to be both resident and transient pod populations of killer whales.
 * These different groups may prey on different animals and use different techniques to catch them.
 * Resident pods tend to prefer fish, while transient pods target marine mammals.
 * All pods use effective, cooperative hunting techniques that some liken to the behavior of wolf packs.
 * Whales make a wide variety of communicative sounds, and each pod has distinctive noises that its members will recognize even at a distance.
 * They use echolocation to communicate and hunt, making sounds that travel underwater until they encounter objects, then bounce back, revealing their location, size, and shape.
 * Killer whales are protective of their young, and other adolescent females often assist the mother in caring for them.
 * Mothers give birth every three to ten years, after a 17-month pregnancy.
 * Orcas are immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring and are the intelligent, trainable stars of many aquarium shows.
 * Killer whales have never been extensively hunted by humans.