Know Before You Go

© 

Orca Facts | British Columbia Wildlife Guide

Physical Characteristics

Orcas (Orcinus orca), also called killer whales, are the largest members of the dolphin family. These sea-dwelling mammals are widely intelligent and boast incredible social organization. Orcas are large and robust, with a blunt head and reduced beak. The killer whale has a shiny black body, with white areas on the belly, flank and behind the eye. The lower jaw and throat are also white. The undersides of the flukes are white, and white lobes extend upwards from the white belly to behind the dorsal fin. A grey saddle patch is found behind the dorsal fin, the shape of which is unique to each individual whale.

Males are 20 to 30 feet long, while females are slightly smaller at 13 to 17 feet long. The tall dorsal fin of mature animals, especially males, can reach up to six feet in length.

Habitat

Killer whales are found throughout the world’s oceans, though they are most numerous in temperate waters. They are oceanic for the most part, but will approach the shore when attracted by food resources.

Feeding Habits

Killer whales are versatile predators. They hunt in groups of three to forty animals and feed on everything from fish and invertebrates to dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, seabirds, and even whales. Orcas must eat two to five percent of their body weight in food each day, making access to a substantial and reliable food source important. Depending on their environment, fish and squid generally form the bulk of their diet. Methods for feeding on squid are unknown, but when hunting in packs, the whales trap and attack prey simultaneously. Killer whales off the coast of Canada feed on gray and minke whales, walrus, beluga, seals and occasionally humpback whales.

Behavior

Orcas are highly social whales, traveling in social units called pods. Each pod contains one adult male, several adult breeding females and a number of juveniles of both sexes; female calves usually remain in the pod of their birth. Pod size may vary from four to forty orcas. Small pods are less stable and may die out within a generation, probably because the larger pods monopolize preferred food resources. The orcas hunt together, which accounts for the social links that result in pod formation.

Breeding

Mating is thought to occur sometime between May and July. A female will bear a single calf approximately every eight years, which is about the time it takes for a male calf to reach maturity. The gestation period lasts about 15 months, and the calf measures just over six feet at birth. The mother will nurse the calf for one year.

Join These Northern Adventures in Search of Bears
Repeater Layout : vertical
Spirit Bears, Humpbacks & Wildlife of BC 12
New Itinerary!

Spirit Bears, Humpbacks & Wildlife of BC

Discover British Columbia at its wildest, in search of the elusive white Spirit Bear in the remote valleys of western Canada's Coast Range. Offshore, scout for humpback whales and orcas in emerald fjords.
9 Days / Sep-Oct
$10995 (+air)
12
Photo Departures Available
Make it Custom Make it Private
New Itinerary!
Know Before You Go

Send Me Travel Emails

Get the Inside Scoop on the

World of Nature Travel

Our weekly eNewsletters highlights new adventures, exclusive offers, webinars, nature news, travel ideas, photography tips and more. Sign up today!

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Send Me Travel Emails
Privacy Policy
Thank you for joining our email list

Look for a special welcome message in your inbox, arriving shortly! Be sure to add naturalhabitat@nathab.com to your email contacts so you don’t miss out on future emails.

Get Weekly Updates

Our weekly eNewsletter highlights new adventures, exclusive offers, webinars, nature news, travel ideas, photography tips and more.

Privacy Policy
We're Proud of the Reputation We’ve Earned
Outside
Voted "World's Best Travel
Company"
by Outside Magazine
Outside
Natural Habitat Adventures Ranked
“Best Outfitter”
NatGeo
Voted Best Winter Trip: Natural Habitat Adventures' Monarch Butterfly Migration, Mexico
VIEW MORE AWARDS

Request Your 2023 Catalog

Discover the World's Best

Nature Travel Experiences

Nathab 2024 Catalog

Together, Natural Habitat Adventures and World Wildlife Fund have teamed up to arrange nearly a hundred nature travel experiences around the planet, while helping to protect the magnificent places we visit and their wild inhabitants.

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Request Your 2024/2025 Catalog
Continued - Page 2 of 2
To help us customize your catalog request, please tell us more about your travel needs:
Thank you for requesting a catalog
We’ve received your request. If you have any questions about our trips, please feel free to contact an Adventure Specialist today by calling 800-543-8917.

Get Weekly Updatess

Discover the World's Best

Nature Travel Experiences

Our weekly eNewsletter highlights new adventures, exclusive offers, webinars, nature news, travel ideas, photography tips and more. Sign up today!

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Send Me Travel Emails
Privacy Policy
Thank you for joining our email list!

Look for a special welcome message in your inbox, arriving shortly! Be sure to add naturalhabitat@nathab.com to your email contacts so you don’t miss out on future emails.

Send Us a Message

Send Us a Message

Have a question or comment? Use the form to the right to get in touch with us.

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Send Us a Message
Thank you for your message

We’ll be in touch soon with a response.

Refer a Friend

Refer a Friend,
Get $250 Off
Earn rewards for referring your friends! We'd like to thank our loyal travelers for spreading the word. Share your friend's address so we can send a catalog, and if your friend takes a trip as a first-time Nat Hab traveler, you'll receive a $250 Nat Hab credit you can use toward a future trip or the purchase of Nat Hab gear. To refer a friend, just complete the form below or call us at 800-543-8917. It's that easy! See rules and fine print here.
Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Refer a Friend

Earn rewards for referring your friends! We'd like to thank our loyal travelers for spreading the word. Share your friend's address so we can send a catalog, and if your friend takes a trip as a first-time Nat Hab traveler, you'll receive a $250 Nat Hab credit you can use toward a future trip or the purchase of Nat Hab gear. To refer a friend, just complete the form below or call us at 800-543-8917. It's that easy! See rules and fine print here.

Thank you for the referral!

We've received your friend's information.

View Our 2023 Digital Catalog

View Our 2024/2025

Digital Catalog

Help us save paper! We offer a digital version of The World's Greatest Nature Journeys. If you'd prefer a mailed copy, please provide your contact details here. To view our digital catalog, please enter your info in the form to the right.
Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
View Digital Catalog
Happy browsing!

Thanks for requesting access to our digital catalog. Click here to view it now. You’ll also receive it by email momentarily.

Our Trips

Polar Bear Tours

Polar Bear Tours

African Safaris

African Safaris

Galapagos Tours

Galapagos Tours

Alaska Adventures

Alaska Adventures

U.S. National Parks Tours

U.S. National Parks Tours

Canada & the North

Canada & the North

Europe Adventures

Europe Adventures

Mexico & Central America Tours

Mexico & Central America Tours

South America Adventures

South America Adventures

Asia & Pacific Adventures

Asia & Pacific Adventures

Antarctica & Arctic Journeys

Antarctica & Arctic Journeys

Adventure Cruises

Adventure Cruises

Photography Expeditions

Photography Expeditions

Women's Adventures

Women's Adventures

Family Adventures

Family Adventures

New Adventures

New Adventures

Questions? Call 800-543-8917

Contact Us

Have a question or comment?
Click any of the buttons below to get in touch with us.

Hours
Mountain Time

  • 8 am to 5 pm, Monday - Friday
  • 8 am to 3 pm on Saturday
  • Closed on Sunday
Call 800-543-8917
Questions? Click to Chat
Questions? Click to Chat
/know-before-you-go/alaska-northern-adventures/spirit-bears/wildlife-guide/orca/