Members of the oceanic dolphin family, Orcinus Orcas, or Killer Whales, as they are commonly called, are found in all oceans. Different orca families have adapted to prefer a variety of prey, with some hunting marine mammals, and others preferring to feed on fish. Some orca pods have been known to prey on large whales, and some have even been known to hunt sharks. As apex predators with sophisticated hunting techniques, these mammals deserve respect; diving with orcas is a privilege few will ever be able to take advantage of.
Killer Whale Facts
Highly social, sophisticated, and incredibly intelligent, Killer Whales live in stable family groups. Different pods use different vocalization techniques, speaking different “languages” from one to another. Only elephants and higher primates, including us humans have similarly complex social structures.
Featuring dorsal fins that can sometimes be more than 6 feet tall, white patches above and behind the eyes, sleek white undersides, and dark grey to black backs, adult orcas can weigh more than 10 tons and can be more than 30 feet long, with males outweighing females and having larger, more sharply defined fin shapes. Weighing 400 pounds or so at birth, juvenile killer whales are smaller, but are colored the same as their parents; they are sometimes confused with false killer whales or Risso’s dolphin. Pale grey to white killer whales are sometimes seen in the far north Bering Sea, and have also been encountered off the coast of Russia.
These whales mature at about 15 years of age, after which females tend to bear a single calf once every five years. The gestation period is long, lasting between 15 and 18 months, and to make matters even worse for the species, calf mortality is high; an estimated 37-50% of killer whale calves die before the age of 8 months. The entire pod cares for calves and juveniles. Male killer whales wait until about the age of 21 before breeding, and wild orcas tend to live long lives, with the average being between 35 and 50, but with some individuals living for as long as 80 to 90 years. Captive killer whales do not normally enjoy this type of longevity.
With excellent eyesight both above and below the water, a good sense of touch, sophisticated echolocation abilities, and very good hearing, these animals are amazing hunters and have long been feared; recent scientific studies have shown though, that they will not normally attack humans at all. In fact, every recorded killer whale attack on humans has occurred in captivity. Wild orcas do show interest in divers, and will sometimes come very close. They are also known to make and hold eye contact.
Humans have long respected these animals, which are often featured in indigenous mythologies from a variety of cultures; some people fear them as merciless killers, while others believe them to be inhabited by the souls of human ancestors.
Diving With Killer Whales
Although orcas are found all over the planet, there are only a few places where divers can find them with regularity. Killer whale pods travel about 100 miles each day as they hunt, with some being transitory and others residing in a specific, large area.
One of these places is in New Zealand, where divers frequently enjoy close encounters with the animals, usually at sites where they frequently pass. Most often, these encounters happen by pure chance, and are often preceded by the sound of the whales’ songs in the distance. After hearing a series of clicks, squeals, grunts, and whistling sounds, divers sometimes spot whales in the distance. A few lucky divers have even had close encounters with them in the wild. One photographer was waiting for strobe batteries to recharge when he heard a sound that was similar to the noise the lights made. When he turned around, a group of four orcas was right behind him, imitating the sound of the strobes charging.
On occasion, divers have entered the water with orcas to free them from fishing nets, and many divers have recounted stories of the whales surfacing nearby, inspecting them, circling around them, and coming close enough to be touched. Some who have witnessed this behavior feel that the whales were attempting to use nonverbal tactics to communicate. This occurs with stunning regularity around Plymouth’s North Island, and divers at Tauranga and Bay of Plenty have come into contact with the whales as well, sometimes getting into the water when a pod is sighted in hopes that the whales will decide to come closer.
In Arctic Norway, millions of tons of herring come to Tysfjord each winter, despite the fact that fishermen and orcas capture them by the thousands. The whales spend four months pursuing the fish in leisurely fashion, and snorkeling with the orcas is a favorite pastime of locals and tourists alike.
While the water is much colder here than it is in New Zealand, orca encounters are virtually guaranteed during the herring run, 200 kilometers above the Arctic Circle. Approximately 700 individuals overwinter here, and divers come in droves to swim with these gentle giants. Wearing heavy quilted overalls, drysuits, and gloves, visitors take long excursions on large boats, hopping onto zodiacs the moment orcas are spotted. First taking the boat straight into a group of whales, where huge males with tall dorsal fins swim fin to fin with eagerly porpoising calves, then leaping overboard in order to view the orcas underwater, those who travel to Norway to visit the whales are rarely disappointed.
Here, the whales seem to be more eager and animated than in other places. They swim alongside boats with mouths grinning, sometimes slapping the water with a fin in what seems to be an attempt at play. As you hover above them, watching them glide along beneath you, you feel a true sense of wonder.
While killer whales have no natural predators, and while there is very little whale hunting that targets the species, with the exception of some native subsistence hunts in remote areas, the species is threatened due to prey depletion, oil spills, and other factors. Along with the decrease in wild salmon and the increase of PCB pollution, noise pollution and habitat loss are causing their numbers to decrease. It is hoped that increased knowledge of the species will lead to better conservation, allowing the global orca population to return to health. If you’re lucky enough to dive with these amazing animals, you’re sure to remember the encounter as one of your most incredible experiences ever.