Killer Whales

Supplementary Activities:

• Find out why the colourings/markings of killer whales help them to survive in the wild. Using black and white construction paper, create a paper collage of a killer whale in the Arctic that shows how disruptive colouration is effective camouflage.
• Research the differences between the dorsal fins of male, female, transient, resident and off-shore killer whales. How can you tell them apart?
• Experiment with echolocation. Blindfold a small group of students and ask them to make their way through the rest of the group using only echolocation. Can they avoid touching obstacles? Do faster and louder sounds work more effectively? Does added background noise make it easier or harder to navigate? Have the class predict the results.
• Develop a classification key for determining whether an animal is a fish or a whale.
• Take a field-trip to the Vancouver Aquarium to listen live to the killer whales of Johnstone Straight on ORCA-FM Radio. Compare the sound graphs of the various pods of B.C. to a sound graph of your own voice. Draw your own sound graph and compare it to the other students in your class. Can you tell the difference? How do the sound graphs help Aquarium researchers track the behaviours of killer whales in the wild?

Recommended Resources:

• Ford, John, K.B., Graeme M. Ellis, and Kenneth C. Balcomb. 1994. Killer Whales: The Natural History and Genealogy of Orcinus Orca in British Columbia and Washington State. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.
• Vancouver Aquarium. 1998. Marine Mammals and Their World EducatorĖs Guide. Vancouver.
• Papastavrou, Vassili. 1993. Whale. Eyewitness Book Series. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co. Ltd.