SeaWorld's explanation of longevity comparisons between wild and captive populations states: "The issue of killer whale lifespan is one that is often misconstrued and overly simplified. They establish social hierarchies. Males are sexually mature by about 15, but usually do not reproduce until 21.
In the 1960’s orcas made their enormous debut splash in marine shows. Killer whales don't typically attack humans, but they have this name because of their ability to take down large animals, such as other whales and sea lions. This species is currently classified as Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN list of threatened species.
The most popular movies that have featured Killer whales include Happy Feet, Free Willy, and Namu: The Killer whale. Pod members learn skills through apprenticeship, such as hunting and parenting. Some human cultures have long been fascinated by killer whales, but until recently their lives were shrouded in misinformation — in the past, this has led to the persecution of these whales. They also inhabit many inland or partially-enclosed seas, such as the Gulf of California, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean, Arabian Gulf and Red Sea. They have limited dispersal from their maternal pod. Male killer whales in the Pacific Northwest have a life span of about 30 years, and females live up to 60 years. They travel in pods of between 3-50 individuals, led by females.
Mothers teach their calves how to hunt and they include them in their pod's social network.
Killer whales are considered a cosmopolitan species and occur in all oceans, from Antarctic and Arctic regions to tropical seas. They will prey on nearly any animal in the sea, in the air above them or along the coastline.
One female orca even lived to 103. With their striking black and white markings and prevalence at marine parks, the killer whale, also known as the orca or Orcinus orca, is probably one of the most easily-recognized cetacean species.The largest of the dolphin species, orcas live in oceans and seas around the world and can grow to 32 feet long and weigh up to six tons.
The whale species is known to have several of the longest known living animals in the world with several species living for 100 years or more, however estimating the life expectancy of 80 – 90 or so various species of Cetacea (cetaceans include all species of whale, dolphin and porpoise) can be a very challenging task.
The greatest threat to these whales comes from degradation and disturbance of their habitat. According to the IUCN Red List, the worldwide population of the Killer whale is estimated to be around 50,000 whales. The false killer whale is a species of dolphin that has been given its name due to its resemblance to the killer whale. The killer whale is the largest member of the dolphin family. Individuals in pods are usually related to each other and consist of about 20% adult males, 20% calves, with the rest being females and young males.
Take a deep breath, gang – because we’re diving to the depths of the ocean with some cool killer whale facts!. The young will feed from their mothers for as long as 2 years, but at 12 months will start to eat solid food. In the wild, killer whales can live between 50 and 80 years. These whales may share prey and seldom leave the pod for longer than a few hours.
Killer Whale on The IUCN Red List site -, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/15421/0.
They're immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring.