KILLER WHALE Watching (Orcinus Orca)
The Orca Whale is perhaps the most easily recognized species of whale that can be viewed in Southern California. Though not as commonly seen as Blue and Grey whales, Orcas can draw crowds just as large as the migration of other species!
Male Orcas can grow to be as large as 32 feet long and can weigh up to 9 tons. Females, though smaller, can still reach sizes up to 23 feet and 4 tons. Though commonly referred to as whales, Orcas are in the same family as dolphins and are the largest species of dolphin in the world. Unlike many other species we see on our trips, Orcas have teeth (one of the characteristics of a dolphin) and eat primarily sea lions, seals, squid, fish, and sometimes even other dolphins!
Orcas can be found in all oceans of the world but prefer colder waters. Most pods of orcas consist of families including several females, their calves, one or more males, and juveniles. There are several different types of Orca including resident, transient, and offshore, with the transient pods being the pods seen off the coast of Southern California.