Orca Whale

                         The Orca , or killer whale can be found in every ocean as far as the ice packs of the Arctic and Antarctica , and in cooler inshore waters . The Orca is wide spread and in no danger of extinction .
                     Some special adaptations of the Orca are : (1) SPEED - the orca is the fastest member of the dolphin family , reaching speeds up to 30 miles per hour , but it's normal speed is between 6 and 10 miles per hour . (2) TEETH - The Orca has 40 - 50 concial teeth that point backward . These enable the Orca to tear big chunks of flesh from large prey . (3) JAWS - The Orca's jaws are so big , they can swallow a seal whole .
                     Some key facts about Orca's are that they can range in length from 26 - 36 feet for a male , and 23 - 26 for a female. The Orca's live on a diet of fish , squid , seals , and other whales. An Orca's sexual maturity is between 8 and 16 years old ; their mating season is winter , and Females bred about every 3 - 8 years. The number of young an Orca usually has is one calf . The orca's mating call is a type of clicking sound . An Orca 's life span can be up to one - hundred years.
                      The Orca , or killer whale is the only whale that preys on other warm blooded animals. Using teamwork , they hunt in a group , or pod and will even attack large whales .
                    Whales aren't always the hunter . Sometimes they are hunted by fisherman who claim that Orcas deplete their fish stocks . They were often captured live for marine parks , but this activity is now controlled in the United States .
                    Some of the main features on the Orca Whale are : (1) Dorsal Fin : The males dorsal fin maybe as large as seven feet , but the females dorsal fin is small and curved to the back . (2) White Markings : Flashes above the eyes , belly , and undersides of of tail flukes and head are white .(3) Tail Flukes : Very Power . They propel the Orca to speeds up to a speed of 30 miles per hour .(4) Rounded ; peddle shaped .

Did You Know ............. (1) When an orca breaches , the splash can be
                                           heard several miles away .

                                     (2) The orca can toss a 600 pound prey into the air.

                                     (3) There are two types of whales : (1) toothed
                                          whales (2) Boleen Whales