Social Structure[]
Resident killer whales travel in tight-knit large family groups, usually consisting of a grandmother and her offspring. Males will stay with their mothers for life, with females occasionally breaking off into their own sub-groups.
Common Physical Features[]
Resident killer whales are often easily identified by their open saddle patches and medium-sized oval eyepatches. There is some variation between populations. To the left, there is an illustration showcasing the head shapes of various populations of Transient killer whales, provided by Emma Luck. These are somewhat more "extreme" examples of the populations, with varying levels of similarity between individuals. Resident killer whales may sometimes have closed saddle patches. Males may reach lengths of up to 30 feet, with females usually averaging around 20 feet. The largest female resident killer whale in captivity, Yaka, reached 10,000lbs (4535kg) at approximately 29 years old.
Diet[]
Known for their fondness of salmon, residents are fish-specialists.
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