Killer whales are widely spread throughout the Southern Ocean. They are the only whales that take warm-blooded mammals and, in the Antarctic, their main prey are other whales and seals. Killers hunt together in groups called pods. Members of a pod co-ordinate their movements through an endless stream of calls and clicks and can easily maintain a speed of 25 knots when hunting.

Some killer whales, like those at SeaWorld, eat mostly fish. Other killer whales eat other marine mammals (whales, seals, and sea lions), sharks and rays, octopus and squids, seabirds such as penguins, and some even eat leatherback sea turtles.

Killer Whales or Orcinus Orcas are marine mammals. They are one of 85 Whale (cetacean) species. The killer whale is a toothed whale (Odontoceti) and is an efficient predator, even attacking huge blue whales. Killers live in small, close-knit, life-long pods and have one blowhole. Killers breathe air at the surface of the water through this blowhole which is located near the top of its head. Their blow is a single, low bushy cloud.

They are called killer whales due to the fact that feed largely on warm blooded prey. They hunt down whales occasionally, therefore the name "killer (of) whales".

The activities of killer whales can be grouped into four major categories: foraging, resting, socialising and travelling. Foraging is the most common activity, which makes up about 60% of their daily activity. When resting, pod members slow down, group together tightly, become mainly silent and dive in synchronization; resting episodes usually last 2 – 3 hours. Socialising amongst killer whales consists of mating and play with the other pod members.

Male killer whales have a life expectancy of 50-60 years. Females have a life expectancy of 80-90 years.

Killer whales can dive to a depth of 30 m in order to hunt. Killers commonly breach (swim at very fast speeds toward the surface in order to rise above it and then fall back again). Spy-hopping (poking its head out of the water to look around) and lob-tailing (slapping its tail on the water) are also common activities.

Killer whale vocalizations include clicks, as used in echolocation, whistles, and scream-like pulses. The sounds are used to communicate with other killers, for mating purposes, and for locating prey. Different pods (long-lasting groups of killers) have distinctive "accents" and can recognize members by this accent.

Killer whales don't make long, seasonal migrations. They may, however, cover an area of hundreds kilometres in order to find seasonal prey.

How close do we paddle to the Orcas? On our Johnstone Strait tour we stand a high chance of seeing the whales. Understandably we cannot guarantee what nature will dictate, but we can tell you that this area has one of the highest concentrations of Killer Whales on earth, and this is where they spend their summer holiday. You may see them from either your kayak, while traveling on our water taxi, or from the shore.

The large baleen whales (mysticetes) obtain their food by filter feeding using comb-like baleen plates that grow from the roof of the mouth. Prey is captured either by gulping large amounts of seawater and forcing it across the plates thereby trapping small food items, or by ‘skimming’ across the surface of the water and then removing trapped food with the tongue.

Yes! Prince of Whales Whale Watching is proud to announce that we have a success rate of almost 95% for the season.

A killer whale can reach speeds of 28 miles per hour. They usually swim much more slowly at about 6 to 8 miles per hour. Human Olympic swimmers can only swim at top speeds of 4.5 miles per hour.

Killer whales are found in oceans throughout world. The worldwide population of killer whales is unknown. NOAA Fisheries Service has stock assessments available for some populations of killer whales at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot_res/PR2/

A healthy adult killer whale is an apex (top) predator in the ocean; it can prey on anything that lives in the sea, but has no predators of its own. Some killer whales are even known to prey on other species of whales. At one time, people called them "whale killers," which was eventually modified into killer whales.

Orcas are highly efficient ocean predators--top of the food chain. Some cooperate when hunting, just like wolves. The fact that most killer whales feed on other marine mammals, including the large baleen whales, have earned them their common name. Pacific Northwest resident pods of killer whales, however, rely primarily upon the once-abundant salmon runs for food.

You can eat until you feel full, as long as it is mostly protein and fats. You will no longer have to count calories, but rather you will have to count carbs. For instance you can have as much steak as you want, just without any baked potatoes.

Yes! Cowichan Bay is strategically located in the heart of Southern Resident Orca Whale territory. With the help of a large whale spotting network, we are able to locate whales on most days during the spring and summer months. Our vessel can travel great distances in minimal time, ensuring more time spent with the whales.

Scientists are not sure why the dorsal fins of some killer whales flop over and the dorsal fins of other do not.The dorsal fins of killer whales are supported only by connective tissue and not bone. In a study of killer whales in New Zealand waters, 23% of the wild males had dorsal fins that bent over. Newborn killer whales all have floppy dorsal fins that stiffen a few days after birth. Scientists have a couple of theories as to why the dorsal fins of some killer whales flop over.

Each adult killer whale at SeaWorld receives 140 to 240 pounds of food per day. We feed our killer whales a balanced, high-quality diet, including several different species of fish. Among the types most often fed are herring, capelin, salmon, mackerel, and occasionally others. Fish is always kept refrigerator and well-iced to help maintain the highest husbandry standards. New batches of fish are tested via calorimeter to determine exact levels of calories, fat, ash, protein, and moisture.

The Whitechapel murderer was never brought to justice. Some theories suggest that he was indeed captured by the police and thrown, anonymously, into an insane asylum. This would seem unlikely. The truth is, Jack the Ripper was never caught or identified. The police at the time were ill-equipped to deal with a serial killer investigation.

Serial killers generally don't have a "motive" in the usual sense. They do not murder out of jealousy, revenge, or greed. They murder because they have an innate desire to do so. They get a thrill, oftentimes sexual, out of the act of murder or mutilation. Profiling" has fast become the buzz-word of the criminal detection industry. Some, like John Douglas, believe it is a reliable means of investigation.

A mother may struggle vigorously to protect its young, but other gray whales would probably not come near to help defend it. When killer whales attack, gray whales sometimes get very close together, perhaps more to protect themselves than to protect each other.

Your dog’s digestive system was designed to handle raw meat. After all, wild or zoo animals don’t eat cooked meat. We’ve been using raw meat for close to 20 years with fantastic results. Buy healthy selections of meat, always refrigerate or freeze, and follow recommended safe handling instructions on meat packaging. If you are still concerned, you can rinse meat in a solution of grapefruit seed extract or human-grade hydrogen peroxide mixed with water.

No one lives in Antarctica on a permanent basis. The Antarctic Treaty guarantees that Antarctica is to be used for "peaceful purposes and for scientific research". This means that no one can have Antarctica as their permanent mailing address. Only scientists are allowed to spend any time there. There are over 5,000 scientists and support staff from 27 different countries in Antarctica during the Antarctic summer season.

There have been many research studies done which confirm the need to augment our diets with nutritional supplements. Unless you are truly optimally healthy youâ??ll probably find benefit from taking supplements which are of high quality and suited to your particular health needs. Supplements are not a â??one size fits allâ?? proposition. Your program should be tailored for you individually. At HealthNOW we design nutritional programs which address the root cause of your problem.