Whales

Orca (killer whale)

Orcinus orca

There is no single orca behaviour. Different populations inherit their own diets, calls and hunting traditions, so an orca in Norway may live a very different life from one in Patagonia.

Data DeficientIn 55 Atlas countries

Data Deficient (IUCN, 2017) means there is not enough data to judge the global risk, partly because orcas may be several species. It does not mean they are safe: the Strait of Gibraltar orcas are Critically Endangered (IUCN, 2019), and the Southern Residents are Endangered under US law (2005) and Canadian law (2003).

Orcas surfacing close together in calm Arctic Norwegian waters — Photo: Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

Pod of killer whales surging through open ocean, NOAA photo — Photo: NOAA on Unsplash

Four orcas of the CA51 pod swimming together off British Columbia — Photo: Mike Doherty on Unsplash

Killer whale surfacing in the open sea off Iceland — Photo: Tamara Bitter on Unsplash

Orca mother and calf travelling side by side — Photo: Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

Two orcas swimming along a forested coastline — Photo: Thomas Chizzali on Unsplash

Orca swimming in calm water during whale watching off Victoria — Photo: Ali Kazal on Unsplash

Orca surfacing near snow-capped mountains — Photo: Dave Meckler on Unsplash

Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.

Length

Adult males commonly about 8 m (26 ft), up to about 9.8 m (32 ft); adult females average about 7 m (23 ft), up to about 8.5 m (28 ft)

Weight

Varies a lot by sex and population, so there is no single typical weight; the largest reach about 10,000 kg (22,000 lb)

Next to a person

The biggest are as long as about five adults lying head to toe, and the heaviest weigh as much as roughly 130 adults

What it eats

It depends on the population: some eat mainly fish such as salmon or herring, while others hunt seals, sea lions, dolphins, whales, squid and penguins.

Around people

Potentially dangerous, respect

How it lives

Many orcas live in close family groups built around their mothers, but group size and structure differ between populations. Different populations specialise in different prey and hunt together as a team, using techniques they learn from one another. Pregnancy lasts about 15 to 18 months, and a female has a calf roughly every 5 years.

Where it goes

Movement differs by population: some orca groups travel very far, while others come back to the same waters each season. One Antarctic orca swam to subtropical waters off South America and back, almost 9,400 km in 42 days. In 2022, three orcas photographed in West Iceland were seen 45 days later in Norway. Off Iberia, a small community uses the Strait of Gibraltar mostly in spring and summer.

Populations

Orca populations differ greatly in prey, social life, calls and hunting traditions. The salmon-eating Southern Residents of the Salish Sea numbered about 74 in 2025, while Bigg's orcas in the same waters hunt seals and other mammals. New Zealand has an estimated 150 to 200 coastal orcas, listed there as Nationally Critical, and they often hunt rays. At Península Valdés, orcas are known for a rare hunting method in which they deliberately strand themselves on the beach to catch prey; it depends on tide and prey, and is never guaranteed.

Meet it respectfully

In northern Norway in winter, where it is legal, we may offer a quiet swim with orcas, only with one small operator we have vetted and with our own rules: we slip in calmly where orcas are already feeding, we never drop in on the path of a travelling pod, and we leave if too many boats arrive. You can always stay on the boat. Orcas are large, powerful wild predators, so the encounter is always on their terms. Norway has almost no rules for this: no licence and no limit on boats, and the official guidelines say swimming is not recommended. That is why we set our own. Everywhere else we watch from the boat or the shore. Never touch, feed, chase, block, separate or crowd a pod, and let the animals choose the distance. Rules differ by place. NOAA guidance in the US asks for at least 100 yards (about 90 m), and in Washington State boats must stay 1,000 yards from Southern Resident orcas. In Canada, the distance is 1,000 m for Southern Residents from June 2026 to May 2027 and 200 m for other orcas, and people may not swim with marine mammals. New Zealand requires boats to stay 50 m away and bans swimming within 100 m of orcas. In Spain, boats stay outside 60 m and swimming in that zone is banned. At Península Valdés, people watch from the shore paths. Off Iberia, some orcas have interacted with boat rudders since 2020, so sailors there should follow the current official guidance.

Fun fact

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Where it goes

Follow its journey

Choose a journey and watch it travel. Every line comes from satellite tracking or documented research, and the source is named.

StartEndJourney (the line joins documented areas; real paths vary)

Where you may meet it