Female killer whales average between 17 to 24 feet long and weigh between 3,000 and 8,000 pounds. The largest male killer whale ever recorded weighed 21,000 pounds and was 32 feet long. The largest female killer whale recorded was 28 feet long and weighed 15,000 pounds. A whale is a very large and powerful animal. Different types of whales have different defence systems.
Some whales have a very powerful tail slap.
A tail slap would be powerful enough to kill a human. Some whales have very sharp teeth and powerful jaws such as the killer whale. They swim among icebergs and ice floes. Whales are generally found in shallow coastal waters, often in waters barely deep enough to cover their bodies, foraging along the productive continental shelf areas. They may also be found in deeper waters.