Killer Whale Feeding Habits

Just as we are at the top of the food chain on the planet, Orcas are at the top of the food chain in the ocean. Each Orca eats over 500 pounds of food each and every day. Depending on their geographical location, the Orcas diet consists of fish, squid, seals, sea lions, walruses, birds, sea turtles, otters, penguins, polar bears, reptiles, sharks, octopus, and smaller whales. There has even been an occasion where a moose was found in the stomach of an Orca.

While Orcas are known for their complex social structure, they have also been known to be cannibalistic. Researchers have not discovered in what instances one Orca might be compelled to eat another. It is a source of wonderment, since pods of Orcas operate just as close human families do - protecting their young, ill, and injured. However, occasions of Orcas eating members of their own pods are quite rare.

Orcas hunt with their pods, cooperating and communicating with each other to trap larger prey, and herding smaller prey into a confined area. If a confined area is not readily available, the Orca pod works together to create a confined area, by circling the grouped prey, while taking turns going into the center of the circle to feed. With the amount of food required for each Orca daily, it is no surprise that Orcas spend about 60% of their time foraging for food. While Orcas located in specific geographical regions tend to have specific diets, they readily change their preferences when what they usually eat is not immediately available.

Orcas choose, track, and stalk their prey, often choosing weaker targets for food, such as young sharks, or young blue whales. Orcas commonly use their tail flukes to kill or stun fish. Then, using their rather large teeth, they tear into their prey, or swallow it whole. Orcas do not chew their food, even if they tear into it. Once the food is in their mouths, they swallow it whole.

The stomach of an Orca is divided into three sections. The first section usually contains sand and broken shells. This is used to help the Orca crush its food up, since it was swallowed whole. The stomach remains in constant motion with the use of the muscle tissues. The rest of the digestion process occurs in the other two sections of the stomach, after the first section has properly crushed the food. Orcas drink sea water, and their kidneys cleanse the sea water by extracting the salt.

Orcas often share their food with younger Orcas, which is believed to occur when the older Orcas are trying to instill acceptable social behavior in the younger Orcas - much like we teach our young proper table manners, teach them to say 'Please' and 'Thank You,' and teach them to offer their guests refreshments. Researchers believe this because there have been countless instances of grown Orcas sharing food with younger Orcas who were perfectly capable of getting food for themselves.