![]() ![]() The ventral (bottom) surface, lower jaw, and undersides of the tail flukes are mostly white.The entire dorsal (top) surface and pectoral flippers are black except for the gray saddle. The large areas of black and white are distinctly separate. Killer whales are black and white, with a gray patch called a "saddle" or a "cape" on the back, just behind the dorsal fin. Compared to other body shapes, this body shape creates less drag (the opposing force an object generates as it travels through water). This characteristic fusiform shape is quite energy efficient for swimming. The general body shape of a killer whale is roughly cylindrical but tapering at both ends. (5,384 lbs.) SeaWorld's adult female whales range in weight from 2,313 kg (5,100 lbs.) to 3,719 kg (8,200 lbs.).Īdult male killer whales are larger overall than their female counterparts. The smallest killer whale ecotype is the Antarctic type C killer whales in which adult females average 5.2 m (17 ft.) and adult males average 5.6 m (18 ft.) in length and can reach a maximum of 6.1 m (20 ft.).Īt SeaWorld, average size for adult males is 6.6 m (21.7 ft.) Two of the largest adult male killer whales at SeaWorld weigh 4,340 kg (9,570 lbs.) and 5,380 kg (11,860 lbs.).Īt SeaWorld, average size for females is 5.5 m (18 ft.) and 2,442 kg.Male Antarctic type A killer whales can reach lengths of 9.2 m (30 ft.) making them the largest known killer whales.Killer whale sizes vary significantly between different ecotypes. The largest recorded male killer whale was 9.8 m (32 ft.) in length and weighed 10,000 kg (22,000 lbs.) The largest recorded female was 8.5 m (28 ft.) and weighed 7,500 kg (16,500 lbs.).ĭata from Icelandic killer whales (North Atlantic type 1) indicate that an average-size male is about 5.8 to 6.7 m (19 to 22 ft.) long, while females averaged 4.9 to 5.8 m (16 to 19 ft.) long. Adult male killer whales are larger overall than their female counterpart including features such as pectoral flippers, dorsal fins, tail flukes, and girth.
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