Hobbies And Interests
Killer Whale Information
Killer whales eat seals, sea lions, fish, squid, sea birds and even other whales at times. Their teeth are 4 inches long and they weigh up to 6 tons. Killer whales grow from 23 to 32 feet long and live in cold, coastal waters for 50 to 80 years. They travel in groups called pods and communicate with each other using a variety of unique sounds.
Global Warming
The most pressing natural disaster that can affect killer whales is one that doesn't happen in an instant but over a long period of time -- global warming. Killer whales migrate from polar regions toward the equator continually, meeting and mating with other orcas along the way. As global warming causes polar ice caps to melt, orcas may not migrate south and mate with other orcas, reducing their population. Killer whales may also need to change their diet from seals to otters and other, smaller mammals as global warming makes their typical prey less abundant.
Tsunamis
Although the greatest threats from tsunamis occur to animals and people living on land, sea mammals are also affected. Tsunamis cause an overall increase in turbidity, sedimentation and low-dissolved oxygen in ocean water. All of those changes affect ocean animals, including killer whales. Killer whales and other dolphins may sense the pressure from an impending tsunami and swim far away from their natural breeding and living grounds to escape it, causing them to become disoriented and stranded.
Hurricanes
Like tsunamis, hurricanes can disrupt the everyday life of orcas as well as other sea animals. Five pygmy killer whales were reported stranded in the British Virgin Islands after becoming disoriented by Hurricane Andrew in 1995. The orcas had compromised respiratory systems, which led scientists to surmise that the whales were disoriented by hurricane waves when they surfaced to breathe.