Largest population of killer whales (orcas)

The world’s largest population of killer whales, aka orcas (Orcinus orca), exists off Antarctica in the waters south of 60°S, where it is believed that around 25,000 individuals occur, according to the IUCN.

There is estimated to be a minimum worldwide population of 50,000 killer whales (Forney and Wade, 2006), which means those in the Southern Ocean could represent around 50% of the global total.

Despite their name, killer whales are, in fact, the largest species of dolphin. The orca is one of the apex predators of the ocean, working in groups to hunt prey such as seals, shoals of fish and even blue whales, the largest animals.