Killer Whales are highly social; some populations are composed of matrilineal family groups, which are the most stable of any animal species. |
The sophisticated social behavior, hunting techniques, and vocal behavior of Killer Whales have been described as manifestations of culture. |
Although Killer Whales are not an endangered species worldwide, our local resident population are considered threatened or endangered due to pollution by PCBs, depletion of prey species, captures for marine mammal parks, conflicts with fishing activities, |
Wild Killer Whales are usually not considered a threat to humans. There have, however, been isolated reports of captive Killer Whales attacking and, in at least one instance, killing their handlers at marine theme parks. |
The resident populations of British Columbia and Washington are amongst the most intensely studied marine mammals ever. Researchers have identified and named over 300 Killer Whales over the past 30 years |
Photo identification has enabled the local population of Killer Whales to be counted each year rather than estimated and has enabled great insight into Killer Whale lifecycles and social structures. |
The Killer Whale is an apex predator. They are sometimes called the wolves of the sea, because they hunt in packs (or in their case, pods) like wolves.[26] On average, a Killer Whale eats 227 kg (500 lb) of food each day. |
Although, unlike transient Killer Whales, resident Killer Whales have never been observed to eat other marine mammals, they are known to occasionally harass and kill porpoises and seals for no apparent reason. |
Twenty-two cetacean species have been recorded as preyed on by Killer Whales, either through an examination of stomach contents, from examining scarring on the preys body, or from observing the Killer Whales' feeding activity. |
Killer Whales often use complex hunting strategies to find and subdue their prey. Sea lions are killed by head-butting or by being slapped and stunned by a tail fluke. |
Another technique for capturing seals is known as wave-hunting: Killer Whales spy-hop to locate seals resting on ice floes and then create waves by swimming together in groups to wash over the floe. |
A captive Killer Whale in Friendship Cove discovered that it could regurgitate fish onto the surface, attracting sea gulls, and then eat them. |
The day-to-day behavior of Killer Whales is generally divided into four activities: foraging, traveling, resting and socializing. |
Killer Whales are generally enthusiastic in their socializing, engaging in behaviors such as breaching, spyhopping, and tail-slapping. |
Unlike any other mammal species whose social structure is known, Resident Killer Whales of both genders live with their mothers for their entire lives. |
Like other dolphins, Killer Whales are highly vocal. They produce a variety of clicks and whistles used for communication and echolocation. |
Fish-eating Resident groups of Killer Whales in the northeast Pacific tend to be much more vocal than transient groups in the same waters. |
The Killer Whales use of dialects and the passing of other learned behaviors from generation to generation has been described as a form of culture. |
Environmental degradation, depletion of prey species, conflicts with fishing activities, and habitat degradation are currently the most significant threats to Killer Whales worldwide. |
Like other animals at the highest trophic levels of the food chain, the Killer Whale is particularly susceptible to poisoning via accumulation of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the body. |
Stocks of most species of salmon, a main food source for Resident Killer Whales in the northeast Pacific, have declined dramatically in recent years. |
If food is scarce, Killer Whales must draw from their blubber for energy, which further magnifies the effects of pollutants. |
