killler whales by Amelie Broadbent
by Amelie Broadbent
The killer whale is a large toothed whale that is a very efficient hunter, and can prey on small blue whales. The scientific name for it is Orcinus orca however the killer whale is black and white which gives it the power to camouflage with the sky and the water. In size, it can grow to 7-8 meters in length. And 6,804-8,601kg! In weight.
In location orcas live in waters tropical and arctic and both costal and deep oceanic waters all over the world and in most seas. They sometimes enter other waters but don’t go far from the sea.
Killer whales have 10-13 of large inter looking conical teeth and 42-52 teeth to help it catch its prey. When killer whales hunt the prey on fish, seals, sea birds, and mammals.
But the killer whale does not have many predators. Its main predators are
Large sharks and humans, sadly humans hunt the killer whale for its meat and blubber worldwide. Thankfully zoo operations have helped save the killer whale and its numbers to slowly recover.
When coming to breed the killer whale breeds about on baby ever five years. And stays close by it so the baby can drink milk and stay warm. Baby killer whales are called calves, they are very social animals with in there species. Yet the killer whale is very aggressive and they eat a lot of meat this is where they get their name from.
In the tropical and cold waters you can find many plants that help that habitat survive. In tropical waters lives the red algae, it has been living there for 5000 million years and still survives today. It is red because of the presence of the pigment phycoerythrin because pigment reflects red light and absorbs blue light because blue penetrates water. Sea grass also lives I the ocean it lives on the ocean floor because it needs a lot of Sunlight Sea grasses provide a lot of habitat and places for small fish to hide.
To conclude by informative talk about the killer whale, the killer whale is very beautiful. Even though it might have a scary name it is amazing to view, the way it flips up above the water and plunges back into it. make sure you visit it will really engage you.