Gina Johnson
Killer whales are air-breathing mammals, which means they must surface to breathe. So how do they sleep without drowning? Killer whales are conscious breathers, meaning they must keep at least part of their brain awake to remember to breathe. This is called unihemispheric sleep, and it's a trait shared by many species, including dolphins, beluga whales, pilot whales, porpoises, Stellar sea lions and even chickens. While one half of their brain sleeps, the other half controls their breathing and one eye remains open.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Brain activity | Killer whales keep half of their brain awake to control breathing and trigger each breath |
| Eyes | One eye remains open on the "awake" side of the brain |
| Sleep position | Killer whales sleep in tight-knit groups |
| Sleep cycle | Killer whales sleep for increments of 30 minutes |
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What You'll Learn
Killer whales sleep with one eye open
Killer whales are air-breathing mammals and must surface to breathe. They are known as 'conscious breathers', meaning they have the ability to remain alert and ensure their blowhole is at the surface of the water to take a breath. This means they must keep at least part of their brain awake to trigger each breath.
The sleeping technique varies slightly between species. Some whales enter a deeper sleep where they hang in groups, vertically, not too far below the surface for just over an hour before they surface to breathe. Other species have been observed resting motionless at the surface of the water for increments of only 30 minutes.
Killer whales, who are very socially complex, never stray too far from the other members of their pod, sleeping in tight-knit groups. They sleep in a similar way to dolphins and beluga whales, shutting down one hemisphere of their brain at a time. This is called unihemispheric sleep, and it’s a trait that many species share, including pilot whales, porpoises, Stellar sea lions and even chickens. While half of the killer whale’s brain catches up on sleep, the other half controls the breathing. One eye remains open (on the “awake” side of the brain”) while the other stays closed.
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They are conscious breathers
Killer whales are conscious breathers, meaning they must consciously remember to breathe, even when they are asleep. This means that their brain has to remain partially active while they sleep. While half of the killer whale's brain catches up on sleep, the other half controls the breathing. This is called unihemispheric sleep, and it's a trait that many species share, including pilot whales, porpoises, Stellar sea lions and even chickens.
Unihemispheric sleep is also observed in dolphins and beluga whales, who are physiologically similar to killer whales, so it's thought that killer whales sleep in the same way.
The sleeping technique varies slightly between species of whale. Sperm whales, for example, enter a deeper sleep where they hang in groups, vertically, not too far below the surface for just over an hour before they surface to breathe. Humpback whales, on the other hand, have been observed resting motionless at the surface of the water for increments of only 30 minutes. Humpbacks cannot sleep for much longer than this without losing too much of their body temperature.
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They sleep in tight-knit groups
Killer whales are very socially complex and never stray too far from the other members of their pod. They sleep in tight-knit groups, in a sleeping technique known as unihemispheric sleep. This is where one half of the brain catches up on sleep, while the other half controls the breathing. One eye remains open (on the 'awake' side of the brain), while the other stays closed. This is a trait that many species share, including pilot whales, porpoises, Stellar sea lions and even chickens.
Unihemispheric sleep is also seen in dolphins and beluga whales, which are physiologically similar to killer whales. This means that they shut down one hemisphere of their brain at a time.
Whales are known as 'conscious breathers', meaning they have the ability to remain alert and ensure their blowhole is at the surface of the water in order to take a breath. This voluntary system means they must keep at least part of their brain awake to trigger each breath. This is very different to humans, who have involuntary respiratory systems.
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They sleep with half their brain awake
Killer whales, or orcas, are conscious breathers. This means that they must consciously remember to breathe, even when they are asleep. As a result, their brain has to remain partially active while they sleep. This is known as unihemispheric sleep, where one half of the brain sleeps while the other half controls the breathing. One eye remains open on the 'awake' side of the brain, while the other stays closed.
Unihemispheric sleep is a trait that is shared by many species, including pilot whales, porpoises, Stellar sea lions and even chickens. Dolphins and beluga whales also sleep in this way, and because killer whales are physiologically similar, it is thought that they do too.
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They are similar to dolphins and beluga whales
Killer whales are physiologically similar to dolphins and beluga whales, and it is thought that they sleep in the same way. Dolphins and beluga whales sleep by shutting down one hemisphere of their brain at a time. This is called unihemispheric sleep, and it's a trait that many species share. While half of the killer whale's brain catches up on sleep, the other half controls the breathing. One eye remains open (on the "awake" side of the brain) while the other stays closed.
Unihemispheric sleep allows killer whales to remain alert and ensure their blowhole is at the surface of the water in order to take a breath. This voluntary system means they must keep at least part of their brain awake to trigger each breath. This is very different to humans, who have involuntary respiratory systems.
The sleeping technique varies slightly between species of whales. Some species, like sperm whales, enter a deeper sleep where they hang in groups, vertically, not too far below the surface for just over an hour before they surface to breathe. Other species, such as humpback whales, have been observed resting motionless at the surface of the water for increments of only 30 minutes. Humpbacks cannot sleep for much longer than this without losing too much of their body temperature. And, killer whales, who are very socially complex, never stray too far from the other members of their pod, sleeping in tight-knit groups.
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Frequently asked questions
Killer whales are conscious breathers, meaning they must keep at least part of their brain awake to remember to breathe.
This is called unihemispheric sleep, where one half of the brain sleeps while the other half controls breathing.
Yes, dolphins, beluga whales, pilot whales, porpoises, Stellar sea lions and even chickens sleep in this way.
Killer whales are very social and never stray too far from the other members of their pod, sleeping in tight-knit groups.
Humans have involuntary respiratory systems, meaning we can breathe even while our conscious mind is asleep.
