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.

What are orcas? 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...

Orcas (also known as killer whales) are marine mammals. They belong to the sub-order of toothed whales (known as odontocetes) but are also the largest member of the dolphin family.

Jan 28, 2025 · Orcas are often called killer whales, even though they almost never attack humans. They live in every ocean around the world, from the warm waters near the equator to …

Apr 10, 2025 · Five families of orcas joined forces to hunt down and feed on a blue whale, the largest creature on the planet, in what was an extremely rare sighting off Australia. More than 60 orcas worked ...

Apr 10, 2025 · A massive gang of over 60 orcas was seen brutalizing an endangered pygmy blue whale off the coast of Western Australia by a whalewatching tour.

Did you know that orcas (killer whales) are the largest member of the dolphin family? With their distinctive black and white patterning and huge dorsal fins, a pod of orcas powering through the waves is one of the most impressive sights in the natural world.

Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest member of the dolphin family, reaching a length of 23 to 26 feet and weighing four to eight tons. Seeing orcas attack large whales, eighteenth century Basque whalers called the predator “ballena assasina” meaning, “whale killer.”

Apr 13, 2025 · More than 20 species names have been applied to the killer whale, but a consensus now recognizes only O. orca. Killer whales were formerly referred to as grampuses, but that term is now a synonym for Risso’s dolphin.

One of the world’s most powerful predators, the orca is often referred to as a killer whale, but is in fact, the largest member of the dolphin family.