Orca Bite Force: Deep Diving Into The Dangerous Orca's Adaptations

The percentage of water on our planet can measure up to a good 70% and above.

This 70% includes both freshwater and saltwater bodies. It includes all the ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, seas, oceans, ice caps, glaciers, and the water vapor in the atmosphere.

Humans and animals depend on this water to survive. Every water body is also home to thousands of living species. The oceans especially house some of the biggest and oldest animals on the planet.

The ocean is also believed to be full of mystery and intrigue. The deeper we dive into the deep blue ocean, the more fascinating creatures we encounter. One of the most beautiful residents of the ocean is the orca.

Has this article got you hooked? Check out some other fascinating suggestions from Kidadl, like Rottweiler bite force and Orca eye.

Do orcas have the strongest bite force?

An orca is a whale with teeth and a distinct black and white body. They are also called killer whales because of their predatory behavior.

Though orcas are called whales, they belong to the oceanic dolphin family. Orcas are the largest known members of the dolphin family, growing as long as 16-26 ft (5-8 m).

The bite force is the strength behind an animal's bite. It is usually measured with a unit called PSI. PSI stands for pound-force per square inch.

As for the bite force of an orca, unfortunately, there haven't been any accurate measurements. Some orcas in captivity have exhibited behaviors that could estimate their bite force to be over 19,000 PSI, though, which is a huge figure!

The other species in the animal kingdom that has scientifically recorded the highest bite force is the saltwater crocodile, with a reading of 7700 PSI. Though it is not accurate, and there is no definite proof, Orcas might very well be the creatures with the strongest bite force on earth.

Besides the saltwater crocodile, many other species of the animal kingdom have recorded high bite forces. A strong second to its sibling species, the Nile crocodile records a bite force of 5000 PSI, followed by the American alligator with a bite force of 2125 PSI.

The crocodile and alligator are animal species known to have strong jaws and equally fierce teeth, so it's no wonder they are the animals with some of the strongest bite forces.

Following the ferocious crocodiles and alligators are two herbivorous animals, Hippopotamus and Gorilla with bite forces 1821 PSI and 1300 PSI, respectively.

Hippos have the most powerful jaw muscles that can open wide at an almost 180-degree angle. A gorilla also has strong neck and jaw muscles that give the power behind a strong bite.

The other animals with some of the most prominent bite forces are the Bull shark (1250 PSI), Grizzly bear (1250 PSI), Polar bear (1235 PSI), Great white shark (approximately 4000 PSI), Jaguar (1500 PSI), Hyena (1100 PSI), Bengal tiger (1050 PSI), Snapping turtle (1000 PSI), African lion (690 PSI), Piranha (455 PSI).

Like the bull shark and the great white, sharks are terrifying killers of the ocean. The grizzly bear and the polar bear are a few of the strongest animals on the planet.

Hyena is known to prey on the leftover carcass of other animals' food.

They have a powerful bite as they are known to crush and eat bones. The Bengal tiger is considered the largest and most ferocious animal of the cat family, so it is no wonder that it has measured such a strong bite force.

Though a jaguar is smaller than its other cat family siblings, it has one of the strongest bite forces as well as the deadliest pair of teeth that can even pierce through hard turtle shells.

The snapping turtle seems pretty innocent compared to all these gigantic predators, but don't be fooled, for it can deliver a powerful bite with its powerful jaw muscles. The Piranha is a genuinely remarkable species for it can deliver a force that's 30 times its body weight.

In contrast to these formidable wild creatures, humans have a meager biting force of 162 PSI.

How strong is an orca?

The strength of an animal or person comes from various of their aspects. An animal that can lift weights double its own weight is called strong.

At the same time, an animal that can pack a powerful kick is not any less strong. In short, an animal's strength can come from the weight it can carry, or the force with which it can kick or crush its enemy, or its bite force.

The orca is a large aquatic mammal. It is the biggest member of the dolphin family. While its large frame adds to its strengths, the orca's main strength comes from its strong jaw and a set of sharp teeth that deliver a powerful bite.

The orcas are considered the apex predators of their habitats. Their high bite force makes them stronger than all other aquatic creatures. Though orcas are incredibly strong, they are not aggressive and don't attack other creatures unless for food or provoked.

How sharp are orca's teeth?

Fish are known for their gaping and pouting lips. All the fish have a row or, in some cases, rows of teeth behind the pouty lips. While big aquatic animals like dolphins, whales, and sharks lack pouty lips, they definitely have a set of sharp teeth that deliver powerful bites.

Orca has cone-shaped teeth that are slightly bent. Orca whales use their teeth to tear their prey into chunks, and they later swallow these chunks.

Orcas don't use their teeth to chew their food. The orca teeth can be considered sharp as they easily tear into thick shark or whale skin, but they are not sharp enough that you can prick your finger on their pointy edge.

The teeth along their jaw are sharper than those on the front. Orca teeth are known to become less sharp with wear over time.

How big are orca's teeth?

The Hippopotamus, an Indonesian pig species called babirusa, and a fish called payara are some of the animals with unnaturally large teeth. Despite having the strongest bite, the teeth of an orca are pretty standard in size.

The teeth of an orca are 3 in (7.5 cm) tall and have a diameter of about 1 in (2.5 cm) on average. Some rare cases show orcas with teeth as long as 4 in (10 cm).

How many teeth does an orca whale have?

An adult human being has 32 teeth, each of which is used for a different purpose of cutting, tearing, and grinding. Like humans, every animal has teeth suitable for its dietary requirements and in numbers that match them.

Killer whales grow teeth only once in their lives. An orca's mouth is studded with 10 to 14 teeth on each side of its jaw, both up and down, which means they have 40 to 56 teeth in total.

The number of teeth varies in each orca, and they are placed in an interlocking pattern inside the killer whale's mouth.

Orca Teeth vs. Shark Teeth

The great white shark, bull shark, and tiger shark are some of the most aggressive sharks with powerful bites. The great white shark is one of the most powerful predators of the marine world.

The killer whale is probably the only living animal above the great white in the marine food chain. Though the killer whale is a powerful predator like sharks, they have many differences.

One of the most significant differences between an orca and a shark is their teeth. While orcas grow teeth only once in their lives, sharks constantly shed teeth and regrow them.

Sharks' teeth are sharper than that of killer whales.

The limited number of orca teeth are placed in a single row, whereas sharks have teeth in rows and vast numbers of hundreds to a thousand. Orcas use their teeth to tear into their prey, and they swallow the chunks, while sharks tear apart the prey animal and chew them with their sharp teeth.

Despite having different kinds of teeth, both the orca and the sharks deliver the strongest bites in the deep blues.

Could an orca bite a crocodile in half?

The saltwater crocodile is known to be the largest living reptile in the world and also the heaviest. The freshwater Nile crocodile is a close second. In general, crocodiles are large and heavy animals.

Orcas are known to have one of the strongest bites in the world, which is strong enough to snap a crocodile in half. The case of that happening is unlikely, though.

First of all, adult crocodiles are too large to fit into an orca's mouth. Orcas can easily swallow baby crocodiles, though. Secondly, killer whales don't prefer to eat prey like the crocodile or alligator because of their rough and scaly skin.

And finally, orcas and crocodiles don't coexist in one habitat. Hypothetically, if an orca and a crocodile were in the same space and the crocodile was not too giant, the orca could bite it in half.

Conserving Orcas

Every living being on this planet is one of a kind, and every creation is precious. Unfortunately, some of these animals cease to exist due to various natural and manufactured factors. To try and prevent that from happening, humans around the globe have started conservation acts.

Killer whales were declared data deficient from being conservation dependent by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2008 due to insufficient data on these marine mammals.

Though they are protected from hunting under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in the U.S., factors are still affecting their decline in numbers like pollution, scarcity of food, and oil spills.

Some of the best ways to conserve these beautiful creatures are by reducing the usage of plastic, consuming sustainable seafood, practicing the use of natural cleaning substances, being aware of waste management, and not disturbing their habitat with noise pollution.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the Orca bite force, then why not look at the bite force of a Pitbull or Orca facts.