How old do killer whales get?
Although the Puget Sound orcas have not been studied long enough to know for sure, one female, L-25 (Ocean Sun) is believed to be about 70 years old. That age is rare, and she has outlived her offspring. Due to some confusion in research, L-25 is not actually part of the L-25 subpod, whose oldest member is a 59-year-old female, L-21 (Ankh), followed by a 41-year-old female, L-26 (Baba). How can you tell one killer whale from another? Fortunately for researchers, killer whales often have distinctive dorsal fins and variations in shape and color of the “saddle patch” behind the base of the fin. Average observers can tell the difference between adult males and females, since the male’s fin is taller than its width at the base. At a glance, a female’s fin appears more curvaceous. Besides the J, K and L pods, what other groups of killer whales are there? Orcas are found throughout the world but are most concentrated in the northern latitudes and in areas of high biological production. The J
