The largest member of the dolphin family, black above and white below with white eye patches. Orcas are apex predators found in every ocean, living in family pods whose hunting methods and calls pass down the generations.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Can be
No fatal attack by a wild orca has ever been recorded, but captive orcas have injured and killed their handlers in marine parks.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inOceans
HabitatOpen ocean, Coast, Polar
ColoursBlack, White
SizeHuge
LengthMales 6–8 m, females 5–7 m
WeightMales over 6 tonnes, females 3–4 tonnes
LegsNone
Covered inSkin
Lives inpods
Lives for50–80 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Every ocean, from the Arctic and Antarctic to tropical seas, but most often seen in cooler coastal waters.
- What it eats
- Varies by population: fish, sharks, rays, and marine mammals such as seals, dolphins and whales.
- Conservation
- Data Deficient (IUCN Red List)
Did you know
Actually the largest dolphin, and pods have their own dialects.
Populations specialise. Off western North America, “resident” orcas eat fish, while “transients” hunt mammals.
Often confused with
- Dolphin
An orca is far bigger than other dolphins, with males at 6–8 m, and has bold black-and-white markings with white eye patches.
Sources
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