Killer whales have been observed in all oceans and seas of the world. Although reported from tropical and offshore waters, they occur at higher densities in colder and more productive waters, with the greatest densities found at high latitudes. Along the west coast of North America, killer whales occur along the entire Alaskan coast, in British Columbia and Washington inland waters, and along the outer coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. Seasonal and year-round occurrence has been noted for killer whales throughout Alaska and in the intracoastal waterways of British Columbia and Washington State, where pods have been labeled as ‘resident,’ ‘transient,’ and ‘offshore’ based on aspects of morphology, ecology, genetics, acoustics and behavior. Through examination of photographs of individuals recognizable by differences in dorsal fin shape and saddle patch patterns, movements of whales between geographical areas have been documented. For example, Alaskan killer whales have been observed in British Columbia, Washington and California. When born, killer whales are 2.1 to 2.4 m long and weigh up to 180 kg; by the time they are adults, males are 9.5 m and weigh at least 8 tons, and females are 7 m long and weigh up to 4 tons.
- LUNDIN, J. I., R. L. DILLS, G. M. YLITALO, M. B. HANSON, C. K. EMMONS, G. S. SCHORR, J. AHMAD, J. A. HEMPELMANN, K. M. PARSONS, and S. K. WASSER.
2016. Persistent organic pollutant determination in killer whale scat samples: Optimization of a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method and application to field samples.
Arch. Environ. Contamin. Toxicol. 70(1):9-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0218-8 Online.
- FOOTE, A. D., N. VIJAY, M. C. AVILA-ARCOS, R. W. BAIRD, J. W. DURBAN, M. FUMAGALLI, R. A. GIBBS, M. B. HANSON, T. S. KORNELIUSSEN, M. D. MARTIN, K. M. ROBERTSON, V. C. SOUSA, F. G. VIEIRA, T. VINAR, P. WADE, K. C. WORLEY, L. EXCOFFIER, P. A. MORIN, M. T. P. GILBERT, and J. B. W. WOLF.
2016. Genome-culture coevolution promotes rapid divergence of killer whale ecotypes. Nat. Commun. 7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11693 Online.
- ANDRIOLO, A., S. S. REIS, T. O. S. AMORIM, F. SUCUNZA, F. R. de CASTRO, Y. G. MAIA, A. N. ZERBINI, G. A. BORTOLOTTO, and DALLA ROSA.
2015. Killer whale (Orcinus orca) whistles from the western South Atlantic Ocean include high frequency signals. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 138:1696-1701. http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.4928308. Online.
- BOWLES, A. E., D. M. GREBNER, W. B. MUSSER, J. S. NASH, and J. L. CRANCE.
2015. Disproportionate emission of bubble streams with killer whale biphonic calls: Perspectives on production and function. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 137:EL165-EL170.
- Search the AFSC database for additional Killer Whale publications
- Steak for Breakfast and Calamari for Dinner – Does 'Surf & Turf' for Killer Whales Mean a Predator Pit for Steller Sea Lions?
1.31 MB Online.
- Foraging and Prey Differences Between Populations of Bigg’s Killer Whales (Mammal-eating “Transients”) in the Western and Eastern Aleutian Islands
4.06 MB Online.
- Killer whale (Orcinus orca) Depredation on the Greenland Halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) Longline Fishery in the Sea of Okhotsk
3.22 MB Online.
- Search the AFSC database for additional Killer Whale posters
- AT1 Transient: 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005
- Eastern North Pacific:
- Alaska Resident: 2010, 2007, 2006, 2005
- Northern Resident: 2010, 2005, 2001, 1998
- Offshore: 2010, 2008, 2007, 2003, 2000, 1999
- Transient (currently part of the West Coast Transient stock): 2000, 1999, 1998
- Southern Resident: 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999
- Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, and Bering Sea Transient: 2010, 2006, 2005
- Hawaii: 2010, 2004, 2000
- Northern Gulf of Mexico: 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2003, 1995
- West Coast Transient (formerly, the Eastern North Pacific Transient stock): 2010, 2005
- Western North Atlantic: 2000, 1995