Orca Itsy Bitsie 8cm - Cuddly Toy

Physical Characteristics
Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful predators. Orcas are immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring and are the intelligent, trainable stars of many aquarium shows. Size: 23 to 32 ft (7 to 9.7 m) Weight: up to 6 tons (5,443 kg). Life span in the wild is on average 50 to 80 years. They have teeth that can be four inches (ten centimeters) long.

Habitat
Though they often frequent cold, coastal waters, Orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator and is the most widely distributed mammal after humans. The maximum density of Killer Whales is found in the Artic, the Antartic and cold water regions.

Behaviour
Killer 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 polygamous and Summer is the common breeding season. 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 long 17-month pregnancy.

Diet
Undoubtedly, killer whales are one of the most active, opportunistic and top predators in marine environment. They are the largest predators of warm-blooded animals. Sea lions, seals, squids, fishes, penguins, otters, sea turtles, birds, walruses, reptiles, polar bears, cetaceans and moose form the diet of a killer whale. Individuals surround the prey and then attack it. In case of a large whale, members of the pod attack it from various angles.

Strange and Interesting Facts
The black and white colouration of the killer whale serves as a camouflage. When seen from the top, the black back mixes well with the dark water beneath them. When seen from the bottom, the white belly blends with the sunlit water above them.