World Orca Week: A look at the ocean’s largest predator

It’s World Orca Week (World Orca Day is July 14) so here’s a few things you may not know about the ocean’s top predator.

What’s in a name?

Orcas, often referred to as killer whales, are a toothed whale but are technically the largest member of the dolphin family.There are three main types of killer whales in the North Pacific: Resident, transient and offshore. There are 10 different types around the world.

Moms are pregnant a long time

Females reach sexual maturity when they are between 10 and 13 years old. They are typically pregnant for 15 to 18 months and give birth to a single calf. Calves nurse exclusively for at least a year but remain in close association with their mother for the first two years.

They are really fast

Killer whales are among the fastest swimming marine mammals and can reach speeds over 30 mph for short distances. The fastest human on land, Usain Bolt’s 100-meter dash, was about 27 mph.

Killer whales usually cruise at much slower speeds, less than 8 mph.

Protected, but some are endangered

All killer whale populations are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Southern resident killer whales are listed as an endangered population ranging from central California to southeast Alaska.

Southern Resident orca population

As of August 2022, there were 73 Southern resident killer whales in three different pods, according to the Pacific Whale Watch Association.

They can live a long time

Statistics show the average life expectancy of orcas in the wild is estimated at about 30 years for males and 50 years for females. Some females are believed to reach 90.

As of Jan. 9, there were 55 orcas in captivity worldwide, 29 of which were captive-born. The second-oldest living killer whale in captivity is known as Tokitae. Captured at age 4, Tokitae has been in a Miami aquarium for 50 years. In March, plans were announced to potentially release her back to the wild and the pods of Southern resident orcas. No release date has been set.

Corky II, at SeaWorld San Diego, is believed to be the oldest in captivity at age 57-58. She was the first to give birth in captivity but none of her seven offspring survived to adulthood.

They are social and communicate

Killer whales are highly social, and most live in pods of about 20 or more animals.

Killer whales rely on underwater sound to feed, communicate and navigate. Pod members communicate with each other through clicks, whistles and pulsed calls. Each pod in the eastern North Pacific possesses a unique set of calls that are learned and culturally transmitted among individuals.

A pod was spotted off Newport Beach in April.

Sources: NOAA, Center for Whale Research, EPA, National Geographic, The Associated Press, killer-whale.org, worldorcaday.org, SeaWorld.org, us.whales.org, International marine Mammal Project