They use a series of clicking sounds that bounce off fish and other objects in the water. Killer whale pods are very vocal when hunting for prey. Pods of whales with similar dialects are called clans. Researchers have shown that the more similar the dialects between two pods, the closer they are related. Killer whales can recognize their own pods easily from several miles away based on distinctive songs. The sounds vary from pod to pod, with each group having its own unique dialect. Killer whales communicate with each other through a complex variety of whistles, squeaks and whines produced in special air-filled nasal sacs well below the blowhole. Killer whales of both sexes often remain with their parents for life. Pods occasionally mix to form groups of well over 100 individuals, though this amalgam is only temporary. The internal social structure of a pod remains unclear to scientists, though we do know that they usually consist of 10 to 40 whales. The largest members of the dolphin family, killer whales are highly social animals that live in stable, family-related groups called pods. The shape of the dorsal fin and saddle patch, as well as natural nicks and scars on them, are unique to each killer whale. Behind the dorsal fin is a grey area called a saddle patch. In females and young whales, the fin is curved and less than one metre high. In fully grown males, this fin sticks straight up, often as high as 1.8 metres. ![]() The first sight of a killer whale is often the tall dorsal fin. Its size - six to eight metres long and between four and five tonnes in weight - and its striking black-and-white colouring, and long, rounded body make it unmistakable. Without a doubt, the killer whale (Orcinus orca) is one of the most distinctive marine mammals in the world.
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