Body length8 m
364Almond lengths
8.75Tennis nets
5.2 tenthsShuffleboard courts
Large adult male; females ~6-7 m
Photo by Dick Martin on Unsplash
Orca
The ocean's apex predator with a family-first attitude/Marine Life
Orcas (Orcinus orca) are technically the largest members of the dolphin family, which is the kind of fact that makes you rethink dolphins. They hunt in coordinated pods, speak in pod-specific dialects, and have been documented taking down great white sharks for their livers specifically. Different populations specialize in completely different prey, from salmon to seals to other whales.
Measurements
Body mass5,400 kg
2.2 millionUS pennies
540 quintillionMimivirus particles
Adult male; females ~3600 kg
Top speed13.4 m/s
6.7Houseflies
33.5 millionthsSolar winds
1.08Usain Bolt sprints
~48 km/h in short bursts
Dive depth300 m
3.75City blocks
8.3 tenthsCruise ship lengths
Routinely dive to 100-300 m
Dorsal fin height (male)1.8 m
31.6House keys
1.2Standard pool noodles
Tallest dorsal fin of any cetacean
Bite force8,400 N
42,000Chicken nugget weights
10.5Draft horses
8,400Fridge magnets
Estimated; uses teeth primarily for gripping, not chewing
Brain mass6 kg
21.4Bags of marshmallows
3Chihuahuas
One of the largest brains of any animal
Cruising speed5.6 m/s
2.2 hundredthsPassenger jets
11.2Shopping carts
1.6 hundredthsSpeeds of sound
~20 km/h