Adaptations

Swimming: Blubber gives the whale its fusiform shape which is energy efficient for swimming because of less drag. They also save energy by swimming fast to "break free of the water, soaring briefly up and out and then back under in one continuous movement, which they generally repeat" (SeaWorld). Wave-riding allows the whale to swim twice as fast while expending the same amount of energy. An orca mom produces a slip stream in which a calf swims into that saves energy and helps the calf swim with the pod.

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Diving: Physiologically, killer whales have features which "enable a killer whale to converse oxygen when under water," (SeaWorld). Their heart beat slows while diving. Blood and oxygen is transferred to the heart, lungs and brain while diving. There is increased hemoglobin and myglobin which occurs in muscles that carry oxygen in the orcas. Orcas only breathe at the surface and its alveoli collapse under pressure. Compared to orcas, humans need to take a breathe underwater and cannot hold their breaths at large depths.

Respiration: "A killer whale breathes through a single blowhole on top of its head" (SeaWorld). It is normally closed and relaxed, but to open it, the killer whale contracts the muscle covering the blowhole. It inhales oxygen, and exhales underwater near the surface.

Thermoregulation: Blubber protects a whale from heat loss. A large orca helps reduce heat loss. It conserves more heat because it breathes less and heat is lost when exhaling. Countercurrent heat exchange occurs when the arteries heat the blood of the veins through the flippers, flukes and dorsal fin.  

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Sleep: Resident killer whales rest in a group. While sleeping, they are motionless and sleep for as long as eight hours. Orcas may take three to seven short dives before taking a long dive for air.