Orca

Orcinus orca · Delphinidae

The orca, or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus Orcinus, it is recognizable by its distinct pigmentation; being mostly black on top, white on the bottom and having recognizable white eye patches. A cosmopolitan species, it inhabits a wide range of marine environments, from Arctic to Antarctic regions to tropical seas, but is more commonly documented in temperate or cooler coastal waters.

Where the Orca lives

Recorded in United States of America, Canada, Antarctica, Norway, Fr. S. Antarctic Lands, United Kingdom, Chile, Ashmore and Cartier Is., Portugal, Iceland and Mexico (North America, Antarctica, Europe, Seven seas (open ocean), South America and Oceania).

Most records fall in British Columbia, Alaska, Washington, Finnmark, Møre og Romsdal and Vesturland.

See the Orca’s range on the globe

Conservation status

Data deficient (DD). Scientists don’t have enough information yet to say how at risk it is. Categories are the IUCN Red List as republished by GBIF.

Sources

The range is a density of 36,098 georeferenced GBIF records, not an expert-drawn map. Description from Wikipedia.