Orcinus orca

Also known as Orca gladiator, orca whale, killer whale, orca, dwarf killer whale

The orca (Orcinus 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. Scientists have proposed dividing the global population into races, subspecies, or possibly even species.

AI overview

The orca, also known as the killer whale, is the largest dolphin species and can be identified by its distinctive black-and-white coloring and white eye patches. Found in oceans worldwide from Arctic to tropical waters, it's particularly common in cooler coastal regions, and scientists are still studying whether different orca populations around the globe should be classified as separate subspecies or species.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Data Deficient

grampus

Orcinus orca

SPECIES

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderCetacea
FamilyDelphinidae

Habitatmarine

Observations10,174

Observations recorded39,465

Dieser Artikel beschreibt die Walart. Für das gleichnamige U-Boot siehe Schwertwal (U-Boot). Der (Große) Schwertwal (Orcinus orca), auch Mörderwal, Killerwal, Orca oder Butzkopf (auch Butskopf) genannt, ist eine Art der Wale aus der Familie der Delfine (Delphinidae). Die Art ist weltweit verbreitet, bewohnt jedoch bevorzugt küstennahe Gewässer in höheren Breiten. Schwertwale sind soziale Tiere, die eine komplexe Populationsstruktur aufweisen. Die kleinste Einheit ist die Mutterlinie, ein sehr enger Verband von mütterlicherseits verwandten Walen. Sowohl auf der Ebene der Mutterlinie als auch auf höheren Populationsebenen lässt sich eine Weitergabe von bestimmten Jagdtaktiken und Lautäußerungen an Jungtiere beobachten, was zuweilen als Kultur bewertet wird. Die weltweite Schwertwalpopulation lässt sich in verschiedene Ökotypen aufteilen, die sich in ihrem Körperbau, ihren Lautäußerungen und in ihrem Verhalten unterscheiden. Ob die Ökotypen einzelne Arten darstellen, ist Gegenstand wissenschaftlicher Diskussionen – insbesondere ist jedoch auffallend, dass sich Mitglieder verschiedener Ökotypen nicht kreuzen. DNA-Analysen aus dem Jahr 2010 legen nahe, dass mehrere Arten und Unterarten

via GBIF · IUCN

Research

748 papers

Killer whale (Orcinus orca).Nature ecology & evolution · 2025Samarra FIPDOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02634-y
The orca (Orcinus orca) pituitary gland: an anatomical, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analysis.Frontiers in neuroanatomy · 2025Alonso-Almorox P, Blanco A, Fiorito C et al.DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2025.1626079
Killer whales.Current biology : CB · 2023Weiss MN, Croft DPDOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.004
Conservation Status of Killer Whales, Orcinus orca, in the Strait of Gibraltar.ReviewAdvances in marine biology · 2016Esteban R, Verborgh P, Gauffier P et al.DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2016.07.001
Social interaction analysis in captive orcas (Orcinus orca).Zoo biology · 2019Sánchez-Hernández P, Krasheninnikova A, Almunia J et al.DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21502
Luminance Contrast Perception in Killer Whales (Orcinus orca).Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Santa A, Kanda K, Fukumoto Y et al.DOI: 10.3390/ani15060793
Tooth damage in captive orcas (Orcinus orca).Archives of oral biology · 2017Jett J, Visser IN, Ventre J et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2017.09.031
Shotgun metabolomic analysis of killer whale (Orcinus orca) exhaled breath condensate.Journal of breath research · 2024Harsla TR, Breitzman MW, Showman LJ et al.DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ad9ac5

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: 202402 Killer whale.svg

Show 10 more facts

taxon name: Orcinus orca
Commons category: Orcinus orca
Commons gallery: Orcinus orca
taxon common name: シャチ
gestation period: 16.5
exact match: wordnet-rdf.princeton.edu/wn31/102074050-n
sequenced genome URL: www.dnazoo.org/assemblies/Orcinus_orca
taxon author citation: (Linnaeus, 1758)
short name: O. orca
Unicode character: 🫍

Sources (7)

via Wikidata · CC0

~54 min read

Article

32 sections

Contents

Naming
Taxonomy
Types
Characteristics
Range and habitat
Population
Feeding
Fish
Mammals and birds
Behaviour
Social structure
Vocalizations
Intelligence
Life cycle
Conservation
Relationship with humans
Indigenous cultures
Attacks by wild orcas on humans and animals
Orca attacks on sailboats and small vessels
Attacks on humans by captive orcas
Human attacks on orcas
Modern Western attitudes
Whaling
Cooperation with humans
Whale watching
Captivity
See also
Footnotes
References
Works cited
Further reading
External links

Orcas are apex predators with a diverse diet. Individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey, including bony fish, sharks, rays, and marine mammals such as seals, dolphins, and whales. They are highly social, with some populations forming stable matrilineal family groups (pods). Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviors, often unique to specific groups and passed down from generation to generation, are considered to be manifestations of animal culture. The most studied populations are off the west coast of North America, which include fish-eating "residents", mammal-eating "transients", and offshores.