Orca babies

Orcas give birth about every 2 – 5 years after reaching sexual maturity. The gestation period is 16 – 17 months. Babies are generally 7 – 8 feet long and weight about 300 – 400 pounds. When giving birth, other female orcas surround the birthing mother and assist in the birth. Once the baby is born, they push it toward the mother’s teat, where the white markings become imbedded in the baby’s mind - imprinting it to that most important spot. The mother’s milk is the consistency of condensed sweetened canned milk – extremely thick. Babies nurse for at least one year.