
Orca whales are found almost everywhere throughout the earth’s oceans. Mature males are obvious due to their very tall dorsal fin. Male orca whales (9.75 m) grow significantly larger than females (8.5 m). Usually black and white, in Antarctic waters their skins are covered with a film of plankton called diatoms, which gives them a brownish and yellowish hue. They catch single prey, ranging from fish, squid, penguins, seals, dolphins, porpoises, and even whales, including the largest whale of all, the blue whale. Unlike the baleen whales, orcas or killer whales are ‘toothed’ whales, with true teeth rather than fibrous plates for filter-feeding. Scientific name: Orcinus orca Physical description and related species


Australian Antarctic Science Decadal Plan.

