This very special coloration of killer whales is a type of disruptive coloration, a camouflage in which the color pattern of an animal contradicts the animal's body shape. By the flickering, filtered sunlight of the sea, other animals may not recognize a killer whale as a potential predator. The saddle shape markings located near the dorsal fin is unique to each animal, this makes it easy for researchers to identify specific whales in family pods. Tall dorsal fins reaching up to 6ft. tall in males and 3ft. in females. Females are smaller but can grow up to 17-24 ft. in length.
Newborn calves are approx.
7 ft. in length and weigh in at almost 400 lbs. upon birth. Adult Orcas eat 100 to 300 pounds of food a day. Wild Orcas eat salmon, herring and squid, also some Orcas eat seals, seal lions, walruses, sea otters, dolphins, birds and even whales. Orcas live in pods of up to 50 whales. Inside these pods are smaller units called subpods and inside the subpods, are smaller units named maternal groups.