General Characteristics

Length : adult males - 9.8 m (32 ft) /  females - 8.5 m (28 ft)

Weight : adult males -  5,500 kg (12,100 lb)./ females - 3,800 kg (8,400 lb).

Dorsal fin height -  I n males, the dorsal fin can reach up to 1.8m in height, and reaches straight up into the air, shaped rather like a triangle. In females the fin is smaller, about half the size, and more curved.

Description :  The killer whale is the largest member of the dolphin family. Another name for Killer Whale is Orca. They have long, rounded bodies with large dorsal fins at the middle of their backs. Their black bodies are marked with white patches on the underside and near the eyes. The main difference between male and female is the size of their dorsal fin.

Range - Most common in Arctic and Antarctic waters, but also occurs in all other oceans.

Habitat- Killer whales are found in all oceans, but mostly in cooler waters. In the Antarctic they live  in amid pack-ice, but they are said not to extend beyond the ice-line in the Arctic ocean.

Diet - They wide variety of species, ranging from fish to warm-blooded prey such as birds, seals or even other whales.

Status - There is no official status, but a decline in population  has been recorded.. Killer Whale populations may be suffering. Some genetically isolated populations may even be endangered.

Reason For the Status - killing by angry fishermen, declining food stocks due to over fishing , pollution, and disease 

What type of animal is it - Carnivore

Gestation : Around one year

Longevity : 30 - 80 years

Main Predators : Humans