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Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
- killer whale - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Killer whales, also called orcas, are mighty hunters of the ocean. They earned the name "killer" because they eat other whales.
- killer whale - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
The killer whale (Orcinus orca), also called orca, is the largest member of the dolphin family (Delphinidae). It is easy to identify by its size and distinctive appearance: it has jet-black on top and pure white below, with a white patch behind each eye and another extending up each side. A gray or white "saddle patch" that is a different shape on each killer whale is located just behind the dorsal fin. Although the killer whale is a powerful carnivore (meat eater), there is no record of its killing humans in the wild. Dozens of killer whales have been kept in captivity and trained as performers.