Killer Whales by Allie Hughes

Source: https://quotesgram.com/killer-whale-quotes/

           Orcinus orca, known to most as the killer whale, is the largest known species of dolphin, weighing up to six tons. Their bodies can be up to 32 feet long. These large mammals live up to 80 years in the wild and travel around throughout their lives with their family members in groups known as pods.

          Each pod is led by a dominant female whale and can have anywhere from a few to 40 or so members.  Killer whales are known to swim at extreme speeds: up to 54 km per hour. This trait allows them to be great hunters. Each pod also has various killing tactics, but together are all cooperative which makes them extremely successful hunters. Salmonoids, sea lions, fish, and seals are just a few known predators that these massive creatures feast on.

           Killer whales are a k-selected species and reproduce only a few times during their lives, every three to ten years or so. They can breed throughout the year. Each female carries her young for a gestation period of 17 months, almost twice as long as a humans' gestation length. Killer whale mothers often times gain help from other females after giving birth to a calf. These animals are very protective which just one of their admirable characteristics. Luckily, they have no natural predators.

        These animals have amazing senses of site and hearing, but lack a sense of smell. They have good vision both in and out of the water. However, they lack good taste buds. They do not appreciate their food as much as humans do. It is unknown if killer whales prefer dead fish more so than living fish, although observations have shown they prefer living prey. It is believed that killer whales prefer the taste of particular species of fish instead.

       Killer whales have tiny ear openings located a few inches below their eyes. Inside, they have an eardrum and a reduced channel. All of their ear bones are surrounded by 'foam' that contains air. The air prevents sound waves that travel in the water and live tissues, which scientists believe is what gives killer whales the knowledge of what direction the sound is coming from. They can create their noises through their blowhole and air between their nasal sacs, since they don't have any form of larynx or vocal cords.

    Killer whales communicate though sounds. These sounds are unique to each pod and are considered a form of echolocation. Calls can be repeated multiple times before the whale is replied to depending on the purpose of the call. When they get excited, the pitch gets higher and higher. Resident killer whales are much more vocal than Transient killer whales. Pods additionally have songs, which are multiple dialects and variations of sound passed down from generation to generation. Killer whale pods are identified by their calls, which travel four times faster in the water than they do in air. There is no research or evolution of calls between Resident killer whales and Transient killer whales, meaning they are very distinct. Here is a clip of a pod of killer whales communicating:

Alaska Killer Whales Communicating

      Killer whales are unable to smell because they lack segments in their brains that would allow them to do so. Additionally, they are air-breathing animals and because they live underwater, they would not be able to take advantage of this sense.

          Their vast bodies are mostly black with distinct blobs of white located throughout by their eyes, fins, and underside, shown below. Southern Resident killer whales, the specific species of killer whale considered endangered, also have a more curved and rounded dorsal fin which differentiates them from offshore and transient killer whales.

Photo by David Hoffmann, titled "Freedom"
Source: http://m.yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/3700211/?source=gallery&ys_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fyourshot.nationalgeographic.com%2Fwidgets%2Fgallery%2Fkiller-whale%3F__wait__%3Dtrue%26events%3DonTransitionEnd

Habitat

          Killer whales live all around the globe, but more specifically, Southern Resident killer whales reside from Washington state to British Columbia to Alaska and California. When the water gets cold during the winter time, they migrate to coastal waters. Killer whales can be found at both poles, the Arctic and Antarctic, and they can be found in every ocean. Below is a photo of the geographic range of killer whales, their range being in light yellow.

Source: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/killer-whale/

Endangered Species Listing

          Southern Resident killer whales have had a 20 percent decline in population from the years 1996-2001. After the end of this drastic decline in 2001, Southern Resident killer whales were petitioned to be listed on the Endangered Species Act. Sadly, it took four years for this to occur. On November 18, 2005, Southern Resident killer whales were listed as Endangered on the Endangered Species Act. 

Source: National Wildlife Foundation https://www.nwf.org/~/media/Content/National%20Wildlife%20Magazine%20Layouts/2006/Orcas_ON06_1.ashx?w=534&h=350&as=1

Threats

          Unfortunately, killer whales have many threats. One of the main threats includes one of the "evil quartets": habitat destruction. Additional threats include vulnerability to incidents such as oil spills, small population sizes, various demographics, and other factors. The largest threats include the following: Prey availability, pollution and contamination, vessel effects, oil spills and acoustic effects.

Source: http://lostcoastoutpost.com/media/uploads/post/12909/DSC_0365%2B%25281%2529_1.jpg

Recovery Plan

          The goal for Southern Resident killer whales is to no longer have a need for the ESA to protect them. The killer whale protection plan was made by the National Marine Fisheries Service. There are nine key actions included in the plan believed to contribute to a comeback.

1. Prey Availability: Southern Resident killer whales feed the most on salmon. Having guaranteed prey availability, habitat restoration, and hatchery management considerations will greatly benefit Southern Resident killer whales.
2. Pollution and Contamination: There are many contaminated areas throughout the South Resident killer whale's habitat. The goal is to limit pollutants and monitor what toxins they have already been exposed to.
3. Vessel Effects: Vessel activity is being monitored and evaluated and this will be continued to ensure if regulations need to be placed.
4. Oil Spills: Preventing oil spills and if a spill overs, improving actions taken in case the incident were to occur. 
5. Acoustic Effects: ESA and MMPA mechanisms are being monitored by agencies to protect whales from "anthropogenic sound".
6. Education and Outreach: Educating public and making those aware of actions that can be taken in terms of conservation to help protect South Resident killer whales. 
7. Response to Sick, Stranded, Injured Killer Whales: Ensuring faster response times to living or deceased killer whales. Determining cause of death and performing health assessments
8. Transboundary and Interagency Coordination: Continuing recovery planning with Federal partners, State partners, Canadian agencies, and continuing research, monitoring, and enforcement.
9. Research and Monitoring: Researching trends, population growth, individual killer whale identification and demographic parameters. Overall facilitation and enhancement of conservation efforts.

A graph of each of the monitored Southern Resident killer whale pod's up to the year 2013.
Source: http://www.dogonews.com/2015/1/12/endangered-orca-whale-pod-welcomes-first-newborn-in-two-years

In the News

          As of November 22, 2015, killer whale shows at SeaWorld will now be replaced with virtual ones! To read more, view article below:

Virtual reality can save killer whales — and SeaWorld

In the past year, new Southern Resident killer whale babies were born in Puget Sound, giving hope to the endangered population.

Baby Killer Whales!

Source: http://www.inetours.com/San_Diego/Images/Theme/Shamu3.jpg

How Can YOU Help?

1. If you are whale watching on boat, be aware of how much noise you are making. Whales are very sensitive to sound and boats and large crowds are often very disturbing. Maintain a safe distance away from them or pick an alternative way of viewing them, such as watching them from land.
2. You can report whale sitings to two different networks, the Orca Network or the Salish Sea Hydrophone Network. This will help researchers track whales!
3. Help within your community to protect and restore salmon habitat, as salmon are a huge food source for killer whales.
4. When you choose to eat salmon or other sources of seafood, make sure it is sustainable
5. If you need to throw away medicine or other chemicals, avoid doing so in sinks or toilets. When chemicals are dumped in toilets or other water sources, they travel to storm drains and can then harm killer whales.

Source: http://whaleman.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/slide5.jpg

Fun Facts

• Killer whale teeth can be up to four inches long!
• Killer whale's have a stiff dorsal fin. However, when they are first born, the dorsal fin is flexible.
• The black and white pattern on a killer whales' body allows them to camouflage by blending in with the water.
• Killer whales can eat sharks!
• The killer whale lacks the sense of smell but their hearing is better than a dogs. 
• Because whales can't completely fall asleep (they have to go up to the surface of the ocean for air), they are able to sleep with one eye open because they only sleep with half of their brain.

Source: http://animalfactguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/iStock_000001587916Small    

Works Cited

Cone, Marla. "Salmon in Near-shore Pacific Contaminating Killer Whales." — Environmental Health News. Environmental Health News, 20 Jan. 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2015. <http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/contaminated-killer-whales>. 

"Endangered Orca Whale Pod Welcomes First Newborn In Two Years." DOGOnews. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2015. <http://www.dogonews.com/2015/1/12/endangered-orca-whale-pod-welcomes-first-newborn-in-two-years>. 

"EPA." Southern Resident Killer Whales. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2015. <http://www2.epa.gov/salish-sea/southern-resident-killer-whales>. 

"Killer Whales (Orcas), Killer Whale Pictures, Killer Whale Facts - National Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2015. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/killer-whale/>. 

Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2015. <http://www.latimes.com/travel/california/la-trb-killer-whales-20151109-story.html>. 

National Marine Fisheries Service, and Northwest Regional Offic. (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 28 Nov. 2015. <http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/recovery/whale_killer.pdf>

"Save Orcas - Whaleman Foundation." Whaleman Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2015. <http://whaleman.org/saveorcas/>. 

Sounds In Cetaceans Vary In Volume, Length Of Wave,, Frequency And Type. Sounds Produced In Cetaceans Are, and Made In The Nasal Canal, Focused By The Melon Area And Released Ahead Of The Whale. Senses in Orcas (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 

"Your Shot." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2015. <http://m.yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/3700211/?source=gallery&ys_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fyourshot.nationalgeographic.com%2Fwidgets%2Fgallery%2Fkiller-whale%3F__wait__%3Dtrue%26events%3DonTransitionEnda+http%3A%2F%2Fventurebeat.com%2F2015%2F11%2F22%2Fvirtual-reality-can-save-killer-whales-and-seaworld%2F>.