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 black-and-white patterned body. A cosmopolitan species, it inhabits a wide range of marine environments, from Arctic to Antarctic regions to tropical seas.

Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful predators. They're immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring. Smart and...

The Orca (Orcinus orca) or “Killer Whale” is one of the most recognisable marine mammals in the ocean due to its large size and distinct black and white colour pattern. Having been around for roughly 11 million years the Orca has developed some characteristics that might come as a surprise to some readers.

The killer whale is one of the largest of the toothed whales, and possibly the most famous. Also called “orcas,” killer whales are incredibly intelligent predators, which hunt a variety of prey species. Because killer whales can be kept in human care, we conduct more thorough scientific research about them than some of the other whale species.

Jan 14, 2025 · The killer whale, also known as orca, is the ocean’s top predator. It is the largest member of the Delphinidae family, or dolphins. Members of this family include all dolphin species, as well as other larger species, such as long-finned pilot whales and short-finned pilot whales, whose common names also contain "whale" instead of "dolphin."

6 days ago · killer whale, (Orcinus orca), largest member of the dolphin family (Delphinidae). The killer whale is easy to identify by its size and its striking coloration: jet black on top and pure white below with a white patch behind each eye, another extending up each flank, and a variable “saddle patch” just behind the dorsal fin.

Jan 15, 2025 · Orcas are certainly large animals, weighing up to 11 tons and measuring up to 32 feet/9.8m. Their size, distinctive black and white colouring and tall dorsal fins (especially in the males) make them readily identifiable. Most people can recognise an orca (but maybe under their alternative name of killer whale)!

Orcas (formerly known as killer whales, blackfish, and murder pandas…), Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758), are actually dolphins. And they are the largest of the dolphin family (Family Delphinidae ~ 32 species, including what we normally consider dolphins, pygmy killer whales, Feresa attenuata, and false killer whales, Pseudorca crassiddens).

Feb 27, 2013 · See orcas on WWF’s Whales & Wildlife of the San Juan Islands tour. The largest member of the dolphin family, the orca is one of the top predators of the sea.

Famously recognisable thanks to its unique black and white colouring, the orca is classified as an Odontocete, meaning it has teeth, where other whales and dolphins have a mouth full of baleen, a keratinized structure like fingernails or hair.