Dame Nature Enjoys Nothing More Than Showing Off Just How Formidable She Can Be

We had a fantastic run of luck with this killer whale, which was caught on camera twice in a row. The first image shows the killer whale swimming with its calf alongside it through the ocean. We discovered that the calf died soon after delivery and that the whale did not reappear until a year later. This time, her appearance was quite different.

A fertile adult killer whale is about 18 feet long and weighs around 13,000 pounds. Her belly frame has broadened approximately in the middle, suggesting she was carrying a newborn calf. Killer whales may breed until they are 40 years old when their fertility plummets. Despite reaching sexual maturity at 15, males can reproduce from age 21 and beyond.