Killer Whale - Vancouver Island.

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The killer whale or orca, is the largest of the dolphins, a predator, feeding on fish, seals, and sometimes whales. Killer whales attract tourists to Vancouver Island

Killer Whale or also known as the Orca Whale often transit the waters of Discovery Passage between Vancouver Island and Quadra Island.

They are a mammal , a carnivore and can live up to 80 years of age. They can measure up to 32 feet in length and can weigh up to 6 tons.

The size of a bus the killer whale is the world's most powerful predator. They feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches (ten centimeters) long. They are known to grab seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid, and seabirds.

Though they often frequent cold, coastal waters, orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator.

Killer whales hunt in deadly pods, family groups of up to 40 individuals. There appear to be both resident and transient pod populations of killer whales. These different groups may prey on different animals and use different techniques to catch them. Resident pods tend to prefer fish, while transient pods target marine mammals. All pods use effective, cooperative hunting techniques that some liken to the behavior of wolf packs.

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.

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 17-month pregnancy.

Orcas are immediately recognizable by their distinctive black and white colouring and are also intelligent and trainable.