They swim up to 150km a day and dive to great depths. A wild orca spends its entire life in the ocean, resting and sleeping in the water. Orca top the marine 'food-chain' and have no predators. Adaptations Orca bodies are modified to cope with life as a sea predator. Behaviour Sound rather than sight is vital.
Sound travels well in water and orcas communicate with calls, clicks and whistles.
Like bats they use 'echo-location' to navigate and find food. Orcas can leap out of the water or 'breach', and the loud splash as they land is heard over several kms. Orca also 'spy-hop', resting vertically in the water with their nose in the air, looking for potential prey. Society Orca permanent mother-led groups are called 'pods'. The social life is vital and everyone plays a part in caring for the young.