Orca  (Orcinus orca)

Facts

Also known as: Killer whale
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderCetacea
FamilyDelphinidae
GenusOrcinus (1)
SizeMale length: 5.1 - 9 m (2)
Female length: 4.6 - 7.7 m (2)
Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Status

Classified as Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN Red List (1). Listed on Annex IV of the EC Habitats Directive; eastern North Atlantic populations and eastern North Pacific populations of orca are listed under Appendix II of the Bonn Convention (also known as the Convention on Migratory Species, or CMS) and Appendix II of the Bern Convention (3). All cetaceans (whales and dolphins) are listed on Annex A of EU Council Regulation 338/97; they are therefore treated by the EU as if they are included in CITES Appendix I, so that commercial trade is prohibited. In the UK all cetaceans are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order, 1985 (4).

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