Latest / Kidcast Daily / Ep226: Orca or Killer Whales!

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Ep226: Orca or Killer Whales! · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder.
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  Open wide. Come on kids, let's amplify.
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  Kid Cast Daily starts yours. Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where
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  we bring news, trivia, fun facts, and more just for curious
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  kids like you. Today, we're diving into the
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  amazing world of orcas, also called killer whales.
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  These ocean giants are super smart, powerful, and full of
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  surprises, so get ready to explore the secrets of the sea
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  as we learn all about orcas. Let's start with what an orca
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  actually is. Orcas are large marine mammals
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  that live in oceans all around the world.
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  Their scientific name is or Sinus orca, but most people call
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  them orcas or killer whales. Even though they're called
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  whales, orcas actually belong to the dolphin family.
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  That's right, orcas are the largest members of the dolphin
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  family. Imagine the dolphins you might
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  see at an aquarium or in ocean videos, but much, much bigger.
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  So how big are orcas? An adult male orca can be around
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  8 to 9 meters long. That's about as long as a school
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  bus. They can weigh up to 6000
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  kilograms, which is about as heavy as three cars put
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  together. Female orcas are usually a
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  little smaller, but still very big.
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  Baby orcas, called calves, are born already about 2.5 meters
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  long, which is longer than most couches at home.
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  Orcas are easy to recognize because of their striking black
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  and white coloring. Their backs and the upper parts
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  of their bodies are black, while their bellies and the lower
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  parts of their faces are white. They also have a white patch
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  above and behind each eye. This unique coloring helps them
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  blend into their surroundings when hunting.
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  If you ever see an orca leap out of the water called breaching,
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  you'll notice the beautiful contrast to their colors.
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  Now let's talk about where orcas live.
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  Orcas are found in every ocean on Earth, from the freezing
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  waters near the North and South poles to the warmer seas near
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  the equator. Some orcas live near coastlines,
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  while others prefer the open ocean.
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  They are very adaptable and can survive in many different
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  environments, but they're most commonly seen in colder waters
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  like those around Norway, Canada, and Antarctica.
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  Orcas are known for living in family groups called pods.
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  A pod can have just a few orcas or as many as 40.
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  Pods are usually made-up of related family members, and they
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  stick together for life. The oldest female in the pod is
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  often the leader. Scientists call her the
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  matriarch. Orcas are very social animals.
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  They swim, hunt, and play together, and they use different
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  sounds to communicate with each other.
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  Each pod has its own unique set of calls and clicks, kind of
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  like a special language. Let's talk about what orcas eat.
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  Orcas are carnivores, which means they eat other animals.
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  But what they eat depends on where they live.
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  Some orcas mainly eat fish like salmon or herring.
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  Others prefer marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, or
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  even other whales. Orcas are at the very top of the
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  ocean food chain, which means they have no natural predators.
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  This helps make them some of the most powerful hunters in the
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  sea. Orcas are famous for their
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  hunting skills. They use teamwork and clever
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  tactics to catch their food. For example, in some places,
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  orcas will work together to create waves that wash seals off
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  ice floes and into the water where they can catch them.
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  In other areas, orcas will herd fish into tight balls so they
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  can eat them more easily. Each pod has its own special
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  hunting techniques, which are passed down from older orcas to
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  younger ones. Just like how you might learn a
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  new game from your family. Here's a cool Did You Know
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  moment? Orcas can swim up to 56
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  kilometers per hour for short bursts.
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  That's faster than most boats. They can also dive as deep as
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  100 meters or more to chase after prey.
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  Orcas are built for speed and power.
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  Their bodies are long and streamlined, and they have
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  strong tails called flukes, which help them move quickly
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  through the water. Another interesting fact is that
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  orcas have excellent eyesight both in and out of the water.
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  They also have a great sense of hearing.
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  Orcas use something called echolocation to find their food.
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  Echolocation means they make clicking sounds that bounce off
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  objects in the water. By listening to the echoes,
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  orcas can figure out where fish or other animals are, even when
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  it's dark or murky. Orcas are also known for their
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  intelligence. Scientists believe orcas are one
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  of the smartest animals in the ocean.
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  They can solve problems, use tools, and even teach each other
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  new skills. In fact, orcas have been
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  observed using teamwork to open ice holes for breathing in
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  frozen waters or teaching younger orcas how to hunt.
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  Orcas in different parts of the world have their own unique
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  cultures with different ways of hunting, communicating, and even
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  playing. Speaking of playing, orcas love
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  to have fun. You might see them leaping out
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  of the water, spinning in the air, or slapping their tails on
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  the surface. Sometimes they even play with
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  seaweed or toss objects around just for entertainment.
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  Calves or baby orcas are especially playful and often
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  chase each other or ride the waves.
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  Let's talk about orca families. Orcas are very close to their
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  families and often stay with their mothers for their entire
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  lives. The oldest female in the pod
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  helps teach the younger orcas how to find food and stay safe.
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  In some places, orca pods can be made-up of several generations,
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  including great grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and calves.
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  This strong family bond helps orcas survive in the wild.
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  You might be wondering how long orcas live in the wild.
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  Female orcas can live up to 80 or even 90 years, while males
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  usually live around 50 to 60 years.
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  That's a long time. Some orcas have been tracked by
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  scientists for decades, and their family histories are well
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  known. Have you ever wondered why orcas
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  are called killer whales? A long time ago, sailors saw
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  orcas hunting large whales, so they called them whale killers.
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  Over time, the name got switched around to killer whales.
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  Even though the name sounds scary, orcas are not dangerous
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  to humans in the wild. There are no recorded cases of a
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  wild orca ever harming a human. In fact, orcas are curious and
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  sometimes swim near boats to investigate, but they usually
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  keep their distance. Orcas are important to the ocean
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  ecosystem. As top predators, they help keep
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  the balance in the food chain. For example, if orcas eat too
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  many seals, the number of fish the seals eat might go up or
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  down. This balance helps keep the
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  ocean healthy for all animals. Here's another Did you know
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  moment? Orcas have teeth that are about
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  as long as a large crayon, and they have around 40 to 56 teeth
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  in total. These strong teeth help them
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  grab and hold onto slippery fish and other animals.
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  Orcas also have a tall dorsal fin on their backs.
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  On males, the dorsal fin can be up to 1.8 meters tall, which is
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  taller than most people. Females have shorter, curved
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  dorsal fins. Scientists can often identify
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  individual orcas by the shape and markings on their dorsal
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  fins and by the unique patterns on their bodies.
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  Now let's talk about orca communication.
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  Orcas make a variety of sounds, including clicks, whistles, and
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  pulsed calls. These sounds help them find
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  food, navigate, and talk to each other.
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  Each pod has its own set of sounds, which scientists call a
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  dialect. It's kind of like how people in
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  different countries speak different languages.
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  Orcas can recognize their family members by their voices, even
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  from far away. Orcas are also known for their
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  amazing migrations. Some orca pods travel hundreds
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  or even thousands of kilometers each year to find food or to
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  have babies. For example, orcas in the
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  Pacific Northwest might travel from California all the way up
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  to Alaska. Sadly, orcas face some
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  challenges in the wild. Pollution, loss of food sources,
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  and noise from boats can make life harder for them.
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  Some orcas have trouble finding enough fish to eat, especially
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  in places where humans catch a lot of the same fish.
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  Scientists and conservation groups are working hard to
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  protect orcas and their habitats so these amazing animals can
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  continue to thrive. Now let's do a quick recap of
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  what we've learned today. Orcas, or killer whales, are the
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  largest members of the dolphin family.
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  They live in oceans all over the world and are easy to recognize
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  by their black and white coloring.
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  Orcas live in family groups called pods and have strong
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  social bonds. They are top predators and use
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  teamwork and intelligence to hunt for fish, seals, and even
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  other whales. Orcas are known for their speed,
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  strength, and excellent communication skills.
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  They use echolocation to find food and have their own unique
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  languages in each pod. Orcas can live a long time, with
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  females reaching up to 90 years old.
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  Even though they are called killer whales, orcas are not
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  dangerous to humans in the wild. Orcas are truly one of the most
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  fascinating and powerful animals in the ocean.
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  Next time you see a picture or video of an orca, you'll know
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  just how special and unique these creatures are.
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  Thanks for joining us on Kid Cast Daily.
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  We hope you had fun learning about orcas today.
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  Keep asking questions, stay curious, and TuneIn next time.
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  For more amazing animal facts and adventures, grab your.
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  Breakfast, feeling fine, adventures waiting.
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