Orca

The orca (Orcinus orca), or killer whale, is a <a href="/facts/Toothed_whale/Vbw2nUcm">toothed whale</a> and the largest member of the <a href="/facts/Oceanic_dolphin/GASEMCk2">oceanic dolphin</a> family. The only <a href="/facts/Extant_taxon/YK8uj7qU">extant</a> species in the genus <a href="/facts/Orcinus/wrR0VyDo">Orcinus</a>, it is recognizable by its black-and-white patterned body. A <a href="/facts/Cosmopolitan_species/bXgocWnV">cosmopolitan species</a>, it inhabits a wide range of marine environments, from <a href="/facts/Arctic_Ocean/l6HS3QyV">Arctic</a> to <a href="/facts/Southern_Ocean/F15W9ADT">Antarctic regions</a> to tropical seas.
Orcas are <a href="/facts/Apex_predator/dl0Jyy8Q">apex predators</a> with a diverse diet. Individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey, including <a href="/facts/Fish/fln4gH9V">fish</a>, <a href="/facts/Shark/gnS0bGPW">sharks</a>, <a href="/facts/Batoids/4w6wfqlh">rays</a>, and <a href="/facts/Marine_mammal/WCoC2ye8">marine mammals</a> such as <a href="/facts/Pinniped/8ya4Lzek">seals</a>, <a href="/facts/Cetacea/rtC33h63">dolphins, and whales</a>. They are highly <a href="/facts/Social_animal/aJWwK65x">social</a>, with some populations forming stable <a href="/facts/Matrilineal/RFgpp4Bg">matrilineal</a> family groups (pods). Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviors, often unique to specific groups and passed down through generation to generation, are considered to be manifestations of <a href="/facts/Animal_culture/XhxLB2Bp">animal culture</a>.
The <a href="/facts/International_Union_for_Conservation_of_Nature/QwV8JXup">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a> (IUCN) lists the orca's <a href="/facts/Conservation_status/loUe4uwg">conservation status</a> as <a href="/facts/Data_deficient/dWCrJ0CS">data deficient</a> as multiple orca types may represent <a href="/facts/Species_problem/rohsrHgk">distinct species</a>. Some local populations are <a href="/facts/Threatened_species/kryGsxNb">threatened</a> or <a href="/facts/Endangered_species/L7cIweSW">endangered</a> due to prey depletion, <a href="/facts/Habitat_loss/pyPMkBCY">habitat loss</a>, pollution (by <a href="/facts/Polychlorinated_biphenyl/R3sC5PEf">PCBs</a>), captures for <a href="/facts/Marine_mammal_park/1eUpyUlt">marine parks</a>, and <a href="/facts/Commercial_fishing/8XF3oLTc">conflicts with fisheries</a>. In late 2005, the <a href="/facts/Southern_resident_killer_whale/Mytdz7PY">southern resident orcas</a> were added on the <a href="/facts/United_States_Fish_and_Wildlife_Service_list_of_endangered_species_of_mammals_and_birds/B7hawLzw">U.S. Endangered Species list</a>.
Orcas rarely pose a threat to humans, and no fatal attack has been recorded in the wild. However, <a href="/facts/Orca_attacks/CykMuFJo">captive orcas have injured or killed their handlers</a> in marine theme parks.

Orca open-in-new

Orca