Animals On The Move

Orcas can dive to a depth of 100 feet. Orcas commonly swim very fast speeds toward the shore to catch a seal and then fall back into the water splashing and making noise. Also they swim with their head out of the water to look around for prey. Orcas being fast, can swim up to 30 miles per hour in order to catch prey.

Orcas are found in all the world's oceans ranging from tropical to arctic are often found among icefloes and may cover hundreds of miles looking for their next meal. Orcas occur from the PolarRegions to the equator, and are often found among ice floes.

Orcas breed while near the surface and in warm waters. The female is pregnant for about 16 to 17 months. The Orca calf is born tail first between October and March. Within a few seconds the newborn swims to the surface with help from its mother for its first breath. About thirty minutes later the calf swims on its own. The newborn calf is about six to eight feet in length and weighs about 400 pounds. The baby Orca suckles for milk from its mother and the mother and calf stay together for at least a year.

Female Orcas reach sexual maturity at six to ten years of age and males at 12-16 years old. Male orcas have a life expectancy of about 55 years and females can live up to 90 years. Large male Orcas can grow to up to 30 feet long and weigh of up to 16,000 pounds. The species is in no danger and like other whales they swim by moving their tail up and down.

Their only enemy is human beings. Less evident is the fact that, since Orcas are at the top end of the food chain, much of their food is likely to carry high contamination from water pollution.

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