It is interesting to know that individual pods have their own distinct dialect as humans would have accents from various regions. It is through this dialect that members of the pod recognize each other. One of the things the Free Willy foundation was searching for while setting up Keiko s release was a pod that had the same dialect as Keiko. Recordings were made and compared to all the know pods to hopefully find the family he was taken from 18 years previously. This search was similar to a needle in a haystack.
Orcas usually favor the coastal or cool waters but can also be found in the polar ice areas.
Some pods are stationary and live their entire lives in a small area while others migrate over enormous distances. Unlike most marine animals, Orcas are voluntary breathers and need to literally be half awake at all times. Their brain has the ability to split activities so they sleep with half their brain while the other half keeps the body still breathing. There are three categories of Orcas, resident, transient and offshore. The transient Orca is at the top of the ocean s food chain and they feed off of a variety of marine life including other mammals.