Killer Whales

The orca, or "killer" whale is the largest member of the dolphin family. Orcas have long, rounded bodies with large dorsal fins at the middle of their backs. Their black bodies are marked with white patches on the underside and near the eyes.

The average male orca grows to 23 feet long and weighs 7 to 10 tons. Females average 21 feet long and weigh 4 to 6 tons. The worldwide population of orcas is unknown. But we do know that they live 30 to 50 years in the wild. Orcas are found in all the oceans of the world, but are most common in the Arctic and Antarctic and are often spotted off the west coast of the United States and Canada. They are also found in both coastal waters and open ocean.

Like dolphins, orcas use echolocation - bouncing sound off of objects to determine their location - to hunt and use a series of high-pitched clicks to stun prey. These mammals feed on fish, squid, birds, and marine mammals. Orca often work together to catch a meal. Sometimes they will force many fish into one area and take turns feeding or will beach (slide out of the water onto the shore) themselves to scare seals or penguins into the water where other whales are waiting to feed.

Orcas are very intelligent, social animals that travel in groups. the groups are called pods. Pods usually consist of 5 to 30 whales, although some pods may have a group of 100 or more. They establish social hierarchies. The pods are lead by females. The animals are thought to have a complex form of communication with different dialects (slightly different language) from one pod to another. Female Orcas carry their babies from 13 to 16 months before giving birth. A calf is born in autumn weighing almost 400 pounds and measuring up to 7 feet in length. A calf will remain with its mother for at least two years.

Scientists have found that Orcas are among the most contaminated marine mammals in the world. Pollution and chemical contamination cause them to get diseases easily and may prevent them from having babies. Find out more at: http://www.seaworld.org/

Research info gathered at: www.wikipedia.org

Now, here's an aquatic poem:

Mutants In The Heating System

In this scenario I pretend to be a stone wall deep

in the woods with one mystifying story to tell. She

makes out like she's the nearest speakeasy where

they dance the Charleston and drink bathtub gin.

The shoestring of swagger memorizing the entire

travel guide to Greece and the goddess fabled having

the power to forecast every dream to come. Churches

wear veils. Jewelry stores breathe fire. News from the

outside world arrives handcuffed or life is a secret

fraternity of wasp stings. Here's the part where the

audience has to assume common colds come only of

the powdered form and that the trees are fevered to

grow new leaves. On the other hand, surely is here
somewhere, riding in a gas balloon over the lake,

happiness, that has always been a childhood farm or

desire that could cobweb the wig- maker. Either way, a

sudden draft turns the page to eternal damnation which

is already dressed and made up for the role of Hamlet.

Poem first published at: http://www.listenlight.net/

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Poem Copyright 2008 by Maurice Oliver. All Rights Reserved.