Pod - What Is a Pod Pod Pod Definition of the Term Pod, as Used in Marine Life A pod of orca (killer) whales come to the surface on a calm day in Lynn Canal, Inside Passage, Alaska, near Juneau. John Hyde / Design Pics/First Light/Getty Images By Jennifer Kennedy Updated September 30, 2015. A pod is a group of animals, such as whales or dolphins. This gathering of animals may also referred to as a group, school, herd, or (more traditionally) a gam. Uses of the Terms Pod, School and Group The terms pod and school are sometimes used interchangeably, but sometimes they are used to distinguish between groups of aquatic mammals and other organisms. Since the word school is traditionally used to refer to a group of fish, many people use the term pod to make the distinction that whales are mammals, not fish. Then again, in some references, a school refers to a large group of whales or dolphins, while a pod is a smaller group of animals within that larger group. According to the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, a pod refers to a group of whales in a specific species - the killer whale, or orca.

The authors define a pod as a group of resident killer whales that are closely related matrilines (a line of individuals descended from a single female) that regularly associate with each other. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Examples of Marine Animals that Gather in Pods Assuming you use the term pod to refer to a group of cetaceans, several species regularly gather in pods. The term pod is most often used to refer to t oothed whales ( odontocetes ), many of whom seem to live in a stronger social structure than baleen whales. Odontocete species with well-studied pod structures include: Sperm Whales Bottlenose Dolphins Pilot Whales Depending on the species, these groups may or may not include related individuals.Killer and pilot whales are a species in which the individuals in a pod are related. Why Do Animals Gather in Pods? Defense An advantage of being in a pod is that the animals can better defend themselves against predators such as sharks and killer whales. In the open ocean, there's nowhere to hide. But by gathering together with other whales, each individual has less of a chance of being selected for attack by a predator.

Also, the presence of many whales can confuse a predator and make it difficult for the predator to single out any one animal. Animals in the center of a pod will also benefit from being shielded from predators by those on the outside of the pod. In some whales, like killer and sperm whales, weaker or younger animals may be protected inside the pod, while the stronger members of the pod defend them against predators. Sperm whales employ this strategy. These animals can undertake long feeding dives. Calves, which are still nursing and can't hold their breath as long, are left at the surface, but the adults take turns diving so that the calves are never left wholly unprotected. If a calf is threatened, the adults may gather in a circle around it, with their heads facing the calf and their tails facing the predator. Feeding Animals may also form pods to better enable them to hunt prey. For example, when preying upon a large whale, a small group of killer whales would be more successful than a single individual. Dolphins hunting fish may work together to herd the fish toward the surface or into a shallow area. Once the fish are all gathered together, the whole pod can partake in the feast.

Avoiding Harassment Female dolphins may gather together to avoid harassment from males seeking to mate with them. Mating Pods may come together for mating purposes, especially in cases where animals traditionally gather in smaller pods - these smaller pods may join up with other pods periodically so that animals don't have to mate with members of their own pod. Pod Sizes Pods may contain anywhere from a few animals up to several thousand. The size of the pod may be determined by how the individualsa related, or by feeding needs. If a pod gets too large, the animals in the pod may not be able to find enough food. So the pod size may maximize at the point where animals aren't getting enough to eat. References and Further Information: Acevedo-Gutierrez, A. 2002. "Group Behavior." In Perrin, W.F., Wursig, B. and J.G.M. Thewissen. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press. Trillmich, F. "Sociobiology." In Perrin, W.F., Wursig, B. and J.G.M. Thewissen. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press.

Pod - definition of pod by The Free Dictionary Pod - definition of pod by The Free Dictionary n. 1. Botany a. A dehiscent fruit of a leguminous plant such as the pea, splitting along two sides. b. A dry, several-seeded, dehiscent fruit. Also called seedpod. 2. Zoology An egg case of certain insects, especially a locust or other orthopteran. 3. Geology An deposit of rock or sediment that is much longer than it is wide. 4. A casing or housing forming part of a vehicle, as: a. A streamlined external housing that encloses engines, machine guns, or fuel. b. A detachable compartment on a spacecraft for carrying personnel or instrumentation. 5. Something resembling a pod, as in compactness. v. pod·ded, pod·ding, pods v.intr. 1. To bear or produce pods. 2. To expand or swell like a pod. v.tr. To remove (seeds) from a pod. [Origin unknown.] (pŏd) n. A group of marine mammals, such as whales, or of certain other animals, such as hippopotamuses. [Origin unknown.] 1.

The lengthwise groove in certain boring tools such as augers. 2. The socket for holding the bit in a boring tool. [Origin unknown.] n 1. (Botany) a. the fruit of any leguminous plant, consisting of a long two-valved case that contains seeds and splits along both sides when ripe b. the seedcase as distinct from the seeds 2. (Botany) any similar fruit 3. (Aeronautics) a streamlined structure attached by a pylon to an aircraft and used to house a jet engine (podded engine), fuel tank, armament, etc 4. (Civil Engineering) an enclosed cabin suspended from a cable or a big wheel, for carrying passengers vb, pods, podding or podded 5. (Cookery) (tr) to remove the pod or shell from (peas, beans, etc) 6.

(Botany) (intr) (of a plant) to produce pods [C17: perhaps back formation from earlier podware bagged vegetables, probably from pod, variant of cod2 + ware1] pod (Zoology) a small group of animals, esp seals, whales, or birds [C19: of unknown origin] 1. (Tools) a straight groove along the length of certain augers and bits 2. (Tools) the socket that holds the bit in a boring tool [C16: of unknown origin] 1. (Commerce) pay on delivery 2. (Computer Science) print on demand pod1 (pɒd) n., v. pod•ded, pod•ding. n. 1. an elongated seed vessel that splits easily along the sides at maturity, as that of the pea or bean. 2. an insect egg case. 3. a streamlined enclosure, housing, or detachable container, esp. on an aircraft or other vehicle. v.i. 4. to produce pods. 5. to swell out like a pod. [1680–90; appar. back formation from podder,podware, alter.

of codware bagged vegetables =cod husk, bag (compare Old English codd bag and Old Norse koddi pillow, scrotum) + -ware crops, vegetables] pod′like`, adj. a small herd or school, esp. of seals or whales. [1825–35, Amer.; perhaps identical with pod 1] pod3 n. the straight groove or channel in the body of certain augers or bits. [1565–75; orig. uncertain; perhaps continuing Old English pād covering, cloak, the socket being thought of as something that conceals (though the phonology is irregular)] pod- a combining form meaning “foot”: podiatry. Also, esp. before a consonant,podo-. [comb. form representing Greek poús (genitive podós) foot ] -pod a combining form meaning “one having a foot” of the kind or number specified by the initial element; often corresponding to New Latin class names ending in -poda , with -pod used in English to name a single member of such a class: cephalopod. Compare -ped. [< New Latin < Greek -pod-, s. of -pous, adj.

derivative of poús foot ] POD pod (pŏd) A fruit or seed case that splits along two seams to release its seeds when it matures. Legumes, such as peas and beans, produce pods. pod pod - A group of whales (or seals or dolphins), or a small flock of birds. boll weevil - From Old English wifel, "beetle," and boll, the pod of the cotton plant, which this beetle attacks. chalice - From Latin calix, "cup," and Greek kalux, "pod." vanilla - Once thought to be an aphrodisiac because its pod resembled the vagina; its name comes from the Spanish for "little vagina." Pod a small herd or school of birds or mammals; a small herd of seal or whales. Examples: pod of birds; of coots, 1832; of porpoises; of seals, 1897; of sperm whales, 1840; of whales, 1898; of whiting.

pod I will have been podding you will have been podding he/she/it will have been podding we will have been podding you will have been podding they will have been podding Past Perfect Continuous husk - outer membranous covering of some fruits or seeds pea pod , peasecod - husk of a pea; edible in some garden peas 2. legume - the fruit or seed of any of various bean or pea plants consisting of a case that splits along both sides when ripe and having the seeds attach to one side of the case peanut - underground pod of the peanut vine screw bean - spirally twisted sweet pod of screwbean mesquite that is used for fodder or ground into meal for feed okra - long green edible beaked pods of the okra plant cowage - pods of the cowage plant or the stinging hairs covering them; used as a vermifuge when mixed with e.g. honey fruit - the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant loment - seedpods that are constricted between the seeds and that break apart when mature into single-seeded segments 3.

pod - a group of aquatic mammals cetacean , cetacean mammal , blower - large aquatic carnivorous mammal with fin-like forelimbs no hind limbs, including: whales; dolphins; porpoises; narwhals pinnatiped , pinniped , pinniped mammal - aquatic carnivorous mammal having a streamlined body specialized for swimming with limbs modified as flippers animal group - a group of animals 4. fuel pod aeroplane , airplane , plane - an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets; "the flight was delayed due to trouble with the airplane" container - any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another) Verb Orca | Basic Facts About Orcas | Defenders of Wildlife Orca Basic Facts About Orcas The orca, or "killer whale" (Orcinus orca) is a toothed whale and is the largest member of the dolphin family. It is highly social and composed of matrilineal family groups. Orcas have long, rounded bodies with large dorsal fins at the middle of their backs.

Their black bodies are marked with white patches on the underside and near the eyes. © Ronn Maratea Diet Orcas feed on fish, squid, birds, and marine mammals. Like dolphins , orcas use echolocation - bouncing sound off of objects to determine their location - to hunt and use a series of high-pitched clicks to stun prey. Did You Know? The orca's large size and strength make it among the fastest marine mammals, able to reach speeds in excess of 35mph! Members of orca pods very often work together to catch a meal. Pod members sometimes will force many fish into one area and then take turns feeding or will beach (slide out of the water onto the shore) themselves to scare seals or penguins into the water, where other killer whales are waiting to feed. Population Official worldwide populations of orcas are currently unknown, but likely not to be less than 50,000 individuals. Range Learn All About Orcas & Why We Love Whale Watching ❮ Return to Wildlife The Family Life of an Orca Killer whales live in tight-knit families, similar to other highly intelligent and long-lived animals, such as elephants, wolves and humans.

Off the Northeastern Pacific coast, we have two resident populations of orca, the Northern and the Southern Residents. Although the two populations do not associate with each other, the structure of their families is very much the same. Read More Resident orca live in large family groups called pods, with multiple pods making up a population or community. The pods consist of multiple related matrilines, with each matriline often containing 3 or more generations. Each pod is led by the head female or matriach, as orca are a female dominated species (just like humans, right guys?!) The matriarch tends to be the oldest female in the extended family. Her experience and knowledge guides the pod, and the matriach teaches younger whales about everything from parenting skills, feeding tactics, and navigation through the vast territories that they cover. Orca have long life expectancies, 60 to 80 years for females and 40-60 years for the males. Females have the ability to reproduce as early as 14 years of age, but it is more common to see a female first calf at around 17 to 18 years old.

Males reach sexual maturity between the ages of 17 and 20, but DNA research has revealed that older males are more successful with the ladies! A fascinating characteristic of orca is that they have the longest gestation period of any whale, averaging 16 to 18 months. This may seem surprising as killer whales are a relatively small whale compared to the big baleen whales, who have gestation periods lasting 11 to 12 months. Why then does such a small whale have such a long gestation period? Well the answer lies in the size of their brain. Orca have the second largest brain to have ever evolved in an animal on Earth (sperm whales have the largest). In order for the unborn orca to develop this large brain, they need more time in utero. Their large brain explains why orca are one of the most intelligent species in the world, with the ability to develop language, culture and sophisticated relationships. Another sign of how intelligent killer whales are shows in their mating behavior. Orca do not mate within their own family, they prefer to find a mate from another pod.

Even though all the whales in one population are distantly related, breeding between pods reduces the negative effects of genetic inbreeding. Contrary to many other whale species, orca do not have a breeding season, mating year round when the opportunity arises. Off the shores of Victoria, the Southern Residents are together much of the time from April until the end of October, so the majority of mating events do occur within this period. Females chose their mate and the males do not fight each other for female attention. A little persistence, a tall dorsal fin, and large pectoral fins go a long way! The true beauty of this species is demonstrated in the relationship between a mother and her calf. Once a calf is born into a resident pod, they remain in that pod for the rest of their lives, often side-by-side with their mom and siblings. Orca are the only known species in the world where both female and male offspring stay with their mothers and immediate family forever. Calves are always born tail first so that thy do not drown during the birthing process. After emerging from the womb, a close family member possibly an auntie, sister or brother, lifts the calf to the surface for its first breath, giving the mom a moment to rest.

It takes alot of energy to deliver a 2.5m, 200kg baby! The new calf begins to nurse immediately and continues to feed on its mothers milk for up to a year. Calves as young as six months start to show interest in catching tasty salmon, ripping off pieces of fish that their mom offers to them. One thing that guests find most shocking about killer whale babies, is that the white parts of their body look peachy- orange in colour. The likely cause of this is that baby orca do not have a thick blubber layer when they are born, so for about the first six months of life, tiny blood vessels are showing through their skin, giving them a peachy complexion. It makes identifying a new calf very easy as a little black and orange torpedo shoots up beside a black and white female! Female killer whales invest so much time in parenting, that they only have a calf every 4 to 8 years. This makes population growth slow, and recovery from the live capture trade during the 1960ʼs and 1970ʼs for aquariums difficult to overcome. Like humans, female orca go through menopause between their early to mid forties.

After their child-bearing years are over, they play an essential role in the pod as secondary caregivers. Orca are very much a species where a community raises a child. All members of a pod help to take care of offspring whether they spend time playing with them, helping feed them, or teaching them valuable life skills. Now that you know the details of orca families, itʼs story time! If you are not yet convinced that orca have amazing family bonds, this story will definitely change your mind. It exemplifies the ability for these marine mammals to experience feelings of empathy, love and loss while showing us that there is nothing stronger than the bond between a mother and her offspring. This story has been passed down through the whale watching industry and is one of our favourites to share with guests. Get out your kleenex because it is a tear jerker! It goes a little something like this… About ten years ago a researcher was out in his small boat observing one of the pods that belong to the Northern Residents off northern Vancouver Island. He soon noticed that a female had just given birth but the calf was stillborn.

It is not uncommon for female orca to carry the body of their deceased offspring on their rostrum (what we would call their face), seemingly unable to accept the calf is gone. The researcher went out on his boat everyday and followed the pod. The mother continued to carry around her calf day after day, unable to eat or sleep. Orca need 200 to 300 pounds of food a day, so you can imagine how difficult it was for the mother to continue to carry her calf like this. Unable to hang on to the baby with hands, the mother and close family would dive down to retrieve the body of the calf every time it slipped from the motherʼs face. On the eighth day of carrying her dead calf around, the pod came to a rocky shoreline at low tide. The pod formed a U-shape around the female and her calf. She slowly raised the calfʼs little body on top of a rock ledge. The pod then all hovered in the water very still as if all saying their final good-byes, cooperatively mourning the loss of a family member they never got to know.

To this day, it has been reported that this pod returns to the exact spot where the babyʼs body was laid and they remain there for a length of time, everyone subdued. This is a true example of a motherʼs love and a familyʼs uncompromising support through difficult experiences. Although this story is sad, it gives us an insight into the nature of these animals. It teaches us that humans are not the only species capable of deep emotions, and reminds us that we need to respect and protect the animals who we share this world with. We still have so much more to learn! Transient Orca Transient orca are a genetically distinct ecotype of the orca species. They are characterized by living in small matriarchal groups, typically consisting of a female and her offspring. Once offspring are of reproductive age, they may break off from their motherʼs group and start their own family, or they may remain with their mother for the rest of their lives. Read More Transient orcas are mammal hunters, with a diet that can range from seals, sea lions, porpoises, dolphins and occasionally other whale species. They typically hunt in groups of three to five, using stealth to surprise their unsuspecting prey.

There are four distinct transient populations from northern Alaska to central California. Their home ranges expand several hundred miles, as they need to continually search for prey. The species that transients hunt are intelligent animals with acute hearing, so once transients are known to be in the area, their prey either spend most of their time on land or leave the location quickly to avoid being eaten. Transient orca are much less vocal than their relatives the resident orca, as being quiet improves their hunting success. Transients will engage in playful behavior such as breaching, spy-hopping and tail slapping after they have made a kill and have full bellies. Transient orcas have closed or solid saddlepatches, which is the greyish-white pigmentation found on their back. The dorsal fins of adult male transients are very triangular and come to a sharp point at the top. Transient female dorsal fins are sharply curved and come to a point at their peak as well. Every orca has its own unique saddlepatch and dorsal fin, which allows us to identify each individual in a population. Transient orca do not socialize or mate with resident orca, nor do they display any aggression towards this other type of killer whale.

Even though transients are mammal- eating orca, there has never been a reported case of an orca attacking a human anywhere in the world. Resident Orca Resident orca are a genetically segregated ecotype of the killer whale species. There are two populations of resident orca in the Pacific Northwest, the Northern and Southern Residents. They live in large family groups called pods. Each pod consists of multiple related matrilines, each matriline made up of a female, her offspring, and subsequent offspring. Read More The largest matriline in the Southern Resident population includes 5 generations. Resident orca are the only known group of animals in the world where both female and male offspring remain with their mothers for life. Fathers are from a different pod, thus there is no direct parental care by them. Males do help raise offspring in their own pod however, as ensuring the survival of relatives also acts to pass on their own genetics. Resident orca have a diet of fish and occasionally squid. Resident orca prefer to eat chinook salmon, making up 76% of their annual diet. Chinook salmon are the largest species of Pacific salmon, thus making them the most nutritious fish for the resident orca to hunt.

Population declines in chinook salmon coincide with sudden declines in both resident populations, making chinook salmon stocks a major concern in the conservation of resident orca. Many species of salmon move from the open ocean, up the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and enter freshwater rivers like the Fraser River to spawn and then die. The Southern Resident Orca population follows these runs, making the waters off Victoria and the San Juan Islands a prime location for observing resident orca in the world. Resident orca are highly vocal whales. Each population possesses its own language that is not understood by any other population of orca worldwide, further segregating the communities. Resident orca are also highly playful, often seen breaching, spyhopping, tail lobbing, pectoral and tail fin slapping, rolling, submarining, and playing with bull kelp. Playful behavior acts to entertain the whales, forge deeper social bonds, maintain hunting skills and provide exercise for the animals. Resident orca maintain a genetic pool that allows for either closed or open saddlepatches. All orca have a saddlepatch, which is a grey to white area behind their dorsal fin on their back.

Closed saddlepatches are solid in colour, whereas open saddlepatches have an area of black in them, ranging from a finger-like shape to a large triangular area. The dorsal fin of male resident orca are tall and triangular with a rounded tip. The female dorsal fin is shorter and softly curves back, also with a rounded tip. Each saddlepatch and dorsal fin is unique, both of which are used to identify each individual. Resident orca do not mate or socialize with different ecotypes of orca or even with other resident populations. Even though orca are the top predators in the ocean, they have never posed a threat to humans, in fact there are many accounts of orca helping or rescuing humans in distress. Southern Orca Resident Community When whale watching in Victoria, the population of whales we see the most throughout the season is the Southern Resident Killer Whale community. The Southern Residents are the smaller of the two populations of resident orca that occupy the shores of British Columbia. During spring, summer and fall, the Southern Residents are most often found in the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia and Haro Strait.

Read More However, they have been seen as far south as central California and as far north as the Queen Charlotte Islands. Their favourite location tends to be off the western side of San Juan Island, WA. The orca come to these areas because they are following the runs of salmon who are heading to freshwater rivers to spawn. Although resident orca do eat a variety of salmon species, chinook salmon represent 78% of their diet! Because of this populations predictable movements from April to November, they are the most highly studied orca population in the world. Most of the information that we know about orca comes from studies of this population. The Southern Resident community is made up of 89 whales, divided into 3 pods named J, K, and L. Because all the pods have related dialects, they fall into one clan, known as J Clan. J-pod has 28 members, K-pod has 20 members, and L-pod has 40 members. A pod consists of several matrilines that are related. The eldest female of a matriline guides the family, as killer whales are a female dominated species.

A matriline will contain a female, all of her male and female offspring, and all of their progeny. The largest matriline in the Southern Resident community spans 5 generations! Talk about a big family reunion! The newest addition to the Southern Residents came as an early Christmas gift on December 17th, 2011. This new baby is known as J-48, as he or she is the 48th whale to be identified in J-pod. Orca calves have a 50% chance of surviving the first 6 months of life, so everyone is keeping a watchful eye on this precious baby. J-48 has a great chance of survival, as her seasoned mother, J-16 or more commonly known as Slick, has had 4 previous children who all survived infancy. The reason for the high mortality rate in orca calves is contaminated breast milk. Resident orca live in a highly polluted environment, the most harmful chemicals being PCBʼs, DDT, PCBDEʼs, mercury, and other heavy metals. These toxins suppress the immune system, cause cancers, birth defects, and reproductive problems.

The orca accumulate these toxins from their food and store them in fat tissue. As breast milk is 35%-50% fat, mothers pass the toxins to their offspring. The first whale to ever be identified among the Southern Residents was Ruffles or J-1. Ruffles was the icon of the Southern Residents for 3 decades due to his 6-foot dorsal fin that had a prominent wavy appearance on its trailing edge. He is known as the most photographed wild orca in the world! Sadly Ruffles died at the end of 2010, as he did not return with J-pod last summer. The good story is that Ruffles was the oldest known resident male orca, reaching the ripe age of 59. Not only did he amaze everyone who laid eyes on him, he left many children behind who will hopefully possess his unique looks and personality! Recent DNA studies show that this handsome stud fathered many of the whales in the population today. Closest to Ruffles was Granny or J-2. Granny and Ruffles were somehow closely related, though we will never be sure of the actual connection. Granny is an impressive lady, as she is the oldest known orca in the entire world!

She has shown no signs of slowing down as she approaches her 101st birthday this coming summer! I know what you are thinking….WOW, that is amazing! Granny is amazing and very well respected. She is the matriarch leader of J-pod, always leading the group and making decisions about when and where to travel to get to the best food source, how fast to go, and when to rest or socialize. She is very easy to recognize with her solid saddlepatch and half- moon shaped nick out of the trailing edge of her dorsal fin. Other iconic whales belonging to the Southern Residents include J-8 or Spieden, who makes a funny wheezing sound when she surfaces and exhales. She is also one of the oldest whales in the community, estimated to have been born in 1933! Cappuccino (K-21) and his sister Raggedy (K-40) are a famous pair in K-pod. Rarely do you see one without the other close by. Raggedy is the oldest offspring in their family, born in 1963, and Cappuccino is the youngest sibling in the family born in 1986.

They are the only surviving members of their matriline, so they are very close to eachother. Raggedy can be picked out of a cluster of whales in a heart beat because the back edge of her dorsal fin is ragged looking (thus the name Raggedy) with many nicks in it. Cappuccino is the most iconic male orca in K-pod, with his very recognizable open saddlepatch. The easiest member of L-pod to spot has to be L-41 or Mega. Mega is now the oldest and largest male in the entire Southern Resident community. He has an enormous dorsal fin and a distinguishing nick near the top of his dorsal fin. Mega is always accompanied by his family, the L-12 matriline. His grandmother is the famous Alexis (L12), he has two sisters Matia (L-77), and Calypso (L-94), and his young niece Cousteau, born in 2009. All of the whales in the Southern Resident community have unique personalities and it is an amazing experience to get to know them all!

A majority of all of the information about the Southern Resident orca population has been collected by the Centre for Whale Research, located on San Juan Island, WA. You know you came to the right place to watch orcas when the orca research station sets up shop next door! Ken Balcomb III started the research station in 1971, and continues to be the director and head biologist at the station. The Centre for Whale Research keeps a photo identification catalogue and history of all the whales in this population, conducting annual population surveys and other valuable studies. Another related place you must put on your visit list is the Whale Museum, also located on San Juan Island. Both organizations work together to collect data on the whales, educate the public, and fund research and conservation efforts to protect the Southern Resident population. In 2005, both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and COSEWIC (Committee On the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada), listed the Southern Residents as Endangered. During the 1960ʼs and 1970ʼs, the majority of killer whales taken from the wild to put on display in aquariums unfortunately came from the Southern Resident community.

A total of 68 family members were removed, leaving only 71 whales left by 1973. Today the Southern Residents face threats from food shortages, pollution, boat traffic noise and negative effects of inbreeding depression. Much effort is being made by both US and Canadian governments, non-governmental groups, and the general public to protect the Southern Residents and the habitat they live in. Ask your naturalists how you can get involved in conservation efforts to protect this amazing community of orca! Northern Orca Resident Community The Northern Resident Killer Whale population is the larger of the two resident populations that live off the north Pacific coast of North America. Resident orcas are characterized by having strictly fish diets, large family groups, a complex social structure, and unique vocalizations. It is believed that the Northern Resident community has existed for the past 10,000 to 12,000 years. This period of time has given them ample opportunity to evolve a unique culture and language. Killer Whales (Orcas), Killer Whale Pictures, Killer Whale Facts - National Geographic Pod Size relative to a bus: Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful predators.

They feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches (ten centimeters) long. They are known to grab seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid, and seabirds. Though they often frequent cold, coastal waters, orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator. Hunting and Communication Killer whales hunt in deadly pods, family groups of up to 40 individuals. There appear to be both resident and transient pod populations of killer whales. These different groups may prey on different animals and use different techniques to catch them. Resident pods tend to prefer fish, while transient pods target marine mammals. All pods use effective, cooperative hunting techniques that some liken to the behavior of wolf packs. Whales make a wide variety of communicative sounds, and each pod has distinctive noises that its members will recognize even at a distance. They use echolocation to communicate and hunt, making sounds that travel underwater until they encounter objects, then bounce back, revealing their location, size, and shape. Breeding Killer whales are protective of their young, and other adolescent females often assist the mother in caring for them.

Mothers give birth every three to ten years, after a 17-month pregnancy. Orcas are immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring and are the intelligent, trainable stars of many aquarium shows. Killer whales have never been extensively hunted by humans. KILLER WHALES (Orcinus orca) - Behavior Behavior InfoBook HOME Behavior Observation For the most part, killer whales in the wild are visible only when they are at the surface, so it is inherently challenging to document and study whale behavior. Possibly the most-studied killer whales in the wild are the resident killer whale communities of the eastern North Pacific Ocean. Much of what we know about killer whales comes from studying these whales. Ecotypes of killer whales can be very different from one another in diet, appearance, dialect, and genetics. Experts use caution when generalizing about killer whales, knowing that the different ecotypes of killer whales that have not been as well studied may be quite different from the eastern North Pacific resident whales. Social Structure Social structure of North Pacific resident killer whale populations: Resident populations of wild killer whales, particularly around coastal British Columbia, Washington and Alaska, have been studied for decades.

Based on long-term studies, the basic social unit of resident killer whales in these areas is called a matriline. A matriline is a group of killer whales connected by maternal descent, such as a female with her son and/or daughters. The matriline may also include the offspring of her daughters as well. This core group is highly stable with bonds that appear to be extremely strong — individuals are rarely seen apart for more than a few hours. Individuals have not been seen to permanently leave any of these observed resident matrilines. Some matrilines may consist of only one generation — others may include as many as four generations of related whales. A pod is the next level of social structure observed in resident whales of the North Pacific. A pod contains a group of related matrilines that travel together. Likely they share a past, common maternal ancestor. Pods are less stable and it's not unusual for a matriline to break away from the pod for an extended period, perhaps for weeks or months at a time. A further social level is called a clan. Clans are made up of pods in an area with similar vocal dialects and are thought to be related.

These pods may have developed from one ancestral pod that grew and fragmented over time. Clans inhabit overlapping geographic areas, and pods from different clans are frequently seen traveling together. The top social level described for resident killer whales of the North Pacific is called a community. A community not based upon maternal links or vocal similarities but rather it is a group of killer whales that share a common range and regularly associate with one. Pods within one community rarely, if ever, travel with those of another community. However, their ranges can overlap in some areas. Along the coastal waters of British Columbia, Washington and Alaska, three communities of residents have been documented; southern Alaskan (11 pods, 2 clans), southern (3 pods, 1 clan), and northern (16 pods, 3 clans). Occasionally there is an exchange of pods members, such as for breeding purposes. Social structure of North Pacific transient killer whale populations: The social structure of North Pacific transient killer whales are not as well studied as resident populations in the same area, but similarly their basic social unit is the matriline. Transient matrilines are typically smaller than those seen in resident populations, with juvenile or adult offspring that may disperse for long periods of time or even permanently.

Consistent grouping patterns are not formed and associations are more dynamic than those observed in resident matrilines. Social structure of global killer whale populations: Close, prolonged associations between mother killer whales and their offspring have been commonly observed in long-term studies done on killer whale populations around Norway, Argentina and the Crozet Islands. Matrilineal social structures may be typical for killer whales in other areas of the world as well. Group size. Killer whale group sizes observed in the wild can vary tremendously. In the eastern North Pacific Ocean, pod size varies from just­ two or three to more than 100 individuals. In general, resident pods are larger than transient pods. Resident pods usually include between 5 and 50 whales. Transient pods usually include only seven whales or less. In fact, some transient "pods" observed in the North Pacific consist of a solitary adult male. Rarely, transient pods come together to form groups of 12 or more. More than 30 individuals were spotted in a transient killer whale pod in the western Okhotsk Sea. Offshore killer whales in the wild are sighted in groups of less than 20 to more than 100 individuals.

Off Alaska and Antarctica, groups of more than 100 killer whales have been observed. Larger groups of 130 to 500 individuals have also been seen, with one report of a gathering of an estimated 2,500 individuals. These larger groups may be due to seasonal prey aggregations, for social interaction, or for mating. Scientists theorize that these differences in pod size are related to the whales' feeding habits. A large pod size may be best for herding and hunting schools of fish, and a small pod may be best for hunting marine mammals. Social Behavior Killer whales in a pod establish strong social bonds. Observers note that certain individuals are regularly seen associating with one another. The strongest association bonds in a pod are the mother/calf bonds. A mother killer whale stays close to her newborn calf and attentively directs its movements. The mother/calf bond weakens as a young killer whale matures, but in specific ecotypes this bond may remain strong — researchers observing resident killer whales of the North Pacific, for example, have not seen juveniles leaving their maternal pod after they have matured. In transient pods of the eastern North Pacific Ocean, a whale may leave its mother to travel alone or with other whales.

The killer whale social hierarchy is matriarchal or "female-dominant". As with many species, a social hierarchy exists within a group of killer whales. The hierarchy is female-dominant. Killer whales within a pod may rank themselves and establish dominance by slapping their tails against the water, head-butting, jaw-snapping, biting, raking (tooth-scratching), and various other vigorous postures and gestures. SeaWorld observers noted that calves receive social discipline from their mothers and other significant adults. Discipline may be in the form of restraining (corralling the calf thus restricting its movements) or raking (tooth scratching). Tooth scratches can leave a killer whale with scars, but generally these scratches are superficial. Killer whales often cooperatively hunt together. (See Diet: Food Preferences & Resources and Diet: Methods of Collecting Food ) Interactions between resident and transient pods have not been observed. When they are traveling in the same area, they most often appear to ignore each other. At other times, transient whales actively avoid resident whales. Individual Behavior Whale watchers and researchers have named certain common whale behaviors.

A breach is a behavior in which a whale powerfully thrusts a large part of its body out of the water and lands on the surface — usually on its side or on its back — with a huge splash. Sometimes the same whale will breach several times in sequence. A spyhop is a behavior in which a whale rises out of the water somewhat vertically, exposing its head. Lob-tailing (slapping the tail flukes on the surface of the water), dorsal fin slapping (rolling onto one side to slap the fin on the surface of the water), and pec-slapping (slapping a pectoral flipper on the surface of the water) create loud sounds above water and under water. Killer whales in the Johnstone Strait in British Columbia rub their bodies along the pebbly bottoms of shallow bays (sometimes called "rubbing beaches"). They may do this to help remove sloughing off skin. Killer whale "play" observed by researchers includes intentional beaching in the wild by a group of adult females around the Crozet Archipelago and manipulation of objects (i.e. man-made balls) in zoological parks.

Behavioral studies of cetacean species in zoological parks suggest that killer whales are among the most curious of all cetaceans, with a great tendency to "play" and manipulate objects. Stranding A killer whale may strand if it is affected by a severe, debilitating illness or injury, or if it is too weak to swim or hunt for food. (See Longevity & Causes of Death .) In some areas, killer whales temporarily slide up onto ice or sand to pursue prey. This behavior is not considered stranding. Interaction with other Marine Mammals Killer whales prey on many species of marine mammals. (See Diet & Eating Habits .) Killer whales have also been observed harassing other marine mammals, without eating them. At other times, killer whales have been seen feeding in the same area with other marine mammals, with no apparent reaction by the killer whales. Some species, including those that are known prey for killer whales (minke whales, Dall's porpoises, and seals, for example) have been observed swimming with killer whales. Other marine mammals may flee or avoid killer whales, but at times they seem to ignore them. Sometimes other marine mammals appear to be attracted to killer whales.

Question: A ‘pod’ is a group of which mammals?
Answer: Whales