THE KILLER WHALE

HOME | BIOLOGY | BOOKS | FILMS | GEOGRAPHY | HISTORY | INDEX | INVESTORS | MUSIC | NEWS | SOLAR BOATS | SPORT

ORCINUS ORCA

Length: 6–9 metrar
Weight: 3–9 tons.
Worldwide population: Unknown
Life expectancy: About 50 years

The Killer Whale

Adult males are 7-10 m long and weigh 4½-10 tons and females are 5½-8½ m and 2½-7½ tons.  The head is large and the flippers are paddle like.  The large dorsal fin of the males, sometimes two metres long and mostly straight, is by some considered to be a sexual sign.  The upper body is black, the underside is white, and there are white patches behind the eyes.  The teeth are 40-56 and cone shaped.  Life expectancy is 100 years.

The killer whales roam all the world’s oceans.  In the North Atlantic, they are mainly to be found north of 40°N and migrate to the ice edge in the Arctic in summer.  They are sometimes seen off the West Greenland coast, but rarely off the east coast of North America.  They seem to mate the whole year round, the gestation period is 12-16 months, and the calf weighs 180 kg and is 2-3 m long at birth.  The females reach puberty at 8-10 and the males at 16.

The killer whales are almost omnivorous.  They eat many species of seals, smaller and larger whales, giant skates, fish, squid, octopus, birds etc.  When larger whales are on the menu, they attack in number.  They are very sociable and are commonly seen in family groups and sometimes shoals of 100 animals occur.  They are found in coastal waters as well as in the open seas.

Killer Whale underside

Unlike the baleen whales, orcas are "toothed" whales, with true teeth rather than fibrous plates for filter-feeding. They catch single prey, ranging from fish, squid, penguins, seals, dolphins, porpoises, and even whales, including the largest whale of all, the blue whale.

Their usual migrating speed is 10-15 km/hour, but they can easily reach 50 km/hour, when necessary.  They probably do not dive any deeper than 1000 m.  During summer and autumn they are very common off the Icelandic coast and follow schools of herring and capelin into the bays and fiords.  Their world population is unknown.

A Killer Whale jump

LINKS

Which way now?

Environmentalists hope to save the whales - again

Japan backs Iceland's whaling decision Seattle Post Intelligencer - 18 Oct 2006
TOKYO -- Major pro-whaling nation Japan on Wednesday welcomed Iceland's decision to resume commercial whaling, saying Iceland's catch won't "endanger the whale ...

Iceland whaling decision condemned Stuff.co.nz

Greenpeace 'disappointed' by Iceland's whaling plans ABC Online

Moves begin on Iceland's whaling BBC News

Monsters and Critics.com - Radio New Zealand

Greens dismayed at Iceland whaling decision Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand -

17 Oct 2006 News that Iceland is to begin commercial whaling after a 20-year hiatus 

is being greeted with dismay by Green Party Conservation Spokesperson Metiria Turei. ...

Iceland to Resume Commercial Whaling  Los Angeles Times, CA - 17 Oct 2006
REYKJAVIK, Iceland -- Iceland said Tuesday it would resume commercial whaling after a nearly two-decade moratorium, defying a worldwide ban on hunting the ...

Green warrior to come to Iceland IcelandReview, Iceland - 20-10-06
... According to RÚV, the US government is also opposed to Iceland resuming commercial whaling and has the power to block all imports from Iceland to USA. ...

Today's Scoop Just Politics News Summary 17 Oct 2006
Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand - commercial whaling administered by the International Whaling Commission. See... Greens dismayed at Iceland whaling decision

Update: Finnair strike expected to continue next week International Herald Tribune, France -  hours ago
... "We have received several e-mails from people saying they have decided not to visit Iceland as long as Iceland is conducting whaling," said Thorunn ...

Tharp She Gets Shot! The Return of Whaling in Iceland    19 Oct 2006

Plenty Magazine, NY -  which Iceland’s whales have been protected from hunters came to an end on Tuesday, when the country’s lawmakers voted to resume commercial whaling in the ...

Whaling is affecting tourism IcelandReview, Iceland - 19 Oct 2006
... of Swiss travel agency Baldinger Reisen AG sent a written statement to icelandreview.com yesterday, expressing his concerns about Iceland resuming whaling. ...

Iceland, Whales, Politics  FiNS Magazine, Singapore - 18 Oct 2006
... For a good overview on the Iceland decision and the issues associated with commercial whaling in general, see this recent article in the Guardian. ...

Iceland to resume commercial whaling after almost 2 decades USA Today 17-10-06
Critics say the "scientific" whaling practiced by Japan and Iceland is a sham. Norway ignores the moratorium altogether and openly conducts commercial whaling.

Iceland's Whaling Comeback - Preparations for the Resumption of ...

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) is the leading international charity dedicated solely to the worldwide conservation and welfare of all ... www.wdcs.org/dan/publishing.nsf/ allweb/B2460680BC28D8F480256D4A0040D97B

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Moves begin on Iceland's whaling

Iceland's ambassador to Britain is summoned to explain his country's return to commercial whaling.  news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6064028.stm

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Iceland bids to resume whaling

Iceland reveals its plans to catch whales again for the first time since 1989, despite the international whaling moratorium.  news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2910655.stm

Iceland Whaling v/s Whale watching. Whaling v/s Whale watching.

The most commonly used argument in Iceland is that whaling must be resumed before the whales start ... Yearly report on Iceland whale watching industry: ... www.global500.org/news_83.html 

Iceland

My opinion: Iceland's reasons for scientific whaling are FUBAR and if we can ... I wonder how many of you criticising Iceland's whaling have actually read ... weblog.greenpeace.org/iceland/archives/001530.html

Stop Icelandic whaling

Stop Icelandic Whaling: Arctic Sunrise Expedition 2005, Stop Icelandic Whaling: Arctic ... tourism in Iceland IF Iceland discontinues whaling. One Icelandic ...

weblog.greenpeace.org/iceland/archives/2003_09.html

Greenpeace 'disappointed' by Iceland's whaling plans. 19/10/2006

Greenpeace says it is very disappointed Iceland has decided to resume commercial whaling Iceland has authorised an annual hunt of 30 minke and nine of the ...
www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1768443.htm

Earth Island Institute

Iceland's whaling proposal threatens its growing whale-watching industry. In 2002, more than 62000 people went whale-watching in Iceland. ...
www.earthisland.org/takeaction/new_action.cfm?aaID=167

Japan backs Iceland's whaling decision - Yahoo! News

Major pro-whaling nation Japan on Wednesday welcomed Iceland's decision to resume commercial whaling, saying Iceland's catch won't "endanger the whale ...
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061019/ ap_on_re_eu/japan_iceland_whaling

Whales on the Net - Iceland Whaling Protest Letter

I am appalled to learn that Iceland has decided to resume commercial whaling under the guise of scientific research, and plans to kill 38 minke whales this ...   www.whales.org.au/alert/iceletter.html 

LINKS:

New energy drinks for performers

.. Thirst for Life

330ml Earth can - the World in Your Hands

This website is Copyright © 1999 & 2012  Electrick Publications.   The bird logo and name Solar Navigator are trademarks. 

The name '1824' is a trade mark of Solar Cola Ltd.   All rights reserved.  Max Energy Limited is an educational charity.

 AUTOMOTIVE  |  BLUEPLANET |  ELECTRIC CARS   |   ELECTRIC CYCLES   |   SOLAR CARS  |  SOLARNAVIGATOR  |  UTOPIA