Killer Whale
Orcinus orca
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderCetacea
- FamilyDelphinidae (Delfínids)
- GenusOrcinus
- SpeciesOrcinus orca (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. 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. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Killer Whale sighting in Ningaloo Marine Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Ningaloo Marine Park
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops aduncus
Australian Humpback Dolphin
Sousa sahulensis
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
False Killer Whale
Pseudorca crassidens
Long-snouted Spinner Dolphin
Stenella longirostris
Risso's Dolphin
Grampus griseus
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Minke Whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Eden's Whale
Balaenoptera edeni
Dwarf Sperm Whale
Kogia sima
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 10 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 11 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 12 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Coiba National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 14 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Ostional Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 17 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 18 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 19 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 20 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Killer Whale in Ningaloo Marine Park?
About 9% of wildlife watchers report a Killer Whale sighting in Ningaloo Marine Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Killer Whale in Ningaloo Marine Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Killer Whale in Ningaloo Marine Park in our monthly data.