Killer Whale
Scientific Name : Orcinus Orcas
- IUCN: Data Deficientv
- Other names: Orca
- Swahili name: Nyangumi muuaji
- Length: 7-9m, males larger than females
- Weight: 7,000-10,000kg
- Life expectancy: 50-60 years in males and 80-90 years in females
- Abundance: All sea areas (tropical, temperate and Artic/Antarctic)
- Occurance: In Kenya reported occasionally
- Primary prey: Mainly fish but also some mammals
- Conservation status: Unknown
- Quick key identification: Black body with white underside, white eye patch and grey saddle patch. Dorsal fins differ between male and female; with the male longer and pointy (up to 2m) and females reaching almost one metre. The number of teeth varies among individuals. There are usually 10 to 14 teeth on each side of each jaw (40 to 56 teeth total).
Killer whales are incredibly powerful and considered the king of the seas. They do not have any known predators. The Killer Whale is the most vastly dispersed mammal in the world after humans. One of the fastest creatures in the sea, they can travel up to 30 miles per hour. Are called Killer Whales not because of killing humans but because they feed on other dolphins and whales. Sometimes younger killer whales can be confused with false killer whales.
