Species: Orcinus orca

Killer Whale
Species
    Killer whale swimming in water with land in the background

    Science Review:

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    Research and whale watching enhanced with artificial intelligence to identify individual orcas

    Artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful new tool for whale identification. New software can be adapted and used to identify any animal with a dorsal fin on its back.

    A researcher in red clothing aboard a "CETACEAN RESEARCH & RESPONSE" boat monitoring an orca swimming nearby in sparkling blue waters with forested coastline in the background.
    Abundance of pink salmon may be harming orcas

    Pink salmon now comprise nearly 80 percent of all adult salmon in the North Pacific. This record abundance is coming at a cost to other salmon species such as threatened Chinook, which compete with pinks for spawning territory. A new study shows that the ecological toll may extend all the way to endangered southern resident killer whales.

    Underwater view of many fish swimming in one direction.
    New buffer zones could help orcas hear their dinner

    Just last year, scientists published the first direct evidence that noise interferes with orca feeding behavior. Officials hope a new law establishing a larger buffer zone between boats and endangered southern resident orcas will mean quieter seas and healthier whales.

    The image shows an orca swimming near a sailboat. The whale's black and white coloration and large dorsal fin are visible as it surfaces from the water. In the background, a sailboat with passengers can be seen.
    How eDNA is changing the way scientists track species in Puget Sound

    Scientists can now identify the presence of species just by testing the water for traces of DNA. The relatively new technique is being compared to the invention of the telescope or the microscope as a significant new tool for understanding ecosystems like Puget Sound. It could be a revolution for tracking the movements of all kinds of species, from salmon and killer whales to invasive green crabs.

    Image of dark blue ocean water surface overlaid with a light blue double helix graphic.
    All killer whales will remain one species — for now, according to marine mammal committee

    A formal proposal to designate resident and Bigg’s killer whales as separate species has been rejected by a committee widely recognized as the authority in naming new marine mammal species.

    Residents and Bigg’s killer whales will be listed as subspecies by the Society for Marine Mammalogy. Here, in this 2013 photo, several southern residents pass by Seattle in Puget Sound. Photo: Candace Emmons, NOAA
    Decision time approaches for two new orca species, as other issues bring new questions

    Scientists are making the case that the world's orcas should be divided into two new species. Voting for the proposed change was scheduled to take place last week at the Society for Marine Mammalogy. [Update: Read about the decision here.] https://mig.eopugetsound.org/magazine/all-killer-whales-will-remain-one…-—-now-according-marine-mammal-committee

    A group of black and white killer whales swimming in open water.
    Under a new proposal, our local orcas — resident and Bigg’s killer whales — would each become a new species

    A scientific paper, published on March 27th, spells out the unique physical and genetic characteristics that should make each group a separate species, with the proposed scientific names Orcinus ater for residents and Orcinus rectipinnus for Bigg’s.

    Two pairs of killer whales swimming in open water with spray coming from their blow holes. Land with green trees and vegetation is in the near background.
    Southern resident orcas chase and sometimes kill porpoises. Why don’t they eat them?

    Puzzling encounters between endangered killer whales and harbor porpoises point to questions about prey availability and whale culture, scientists say. Are the whales playing, practicing their hunting skills, or is something else going on? 

    A killer whale surfaces with its head above water holding a harbor porpoise in its mouth.
    Health of killer whales examined through Bayesian network modeling and informed predictions

    Many types of computer models are helping researchers study the health of Puget Sound. Bayesian network models are used to examine the probabilities that certain actions will take place within the ecosystem.

    Several killer whales swimming with the Seattle skyline in the background.
    Inbreeding hinders population recovery among endangered Southern Resident killer whales

    While a scarcity of Chinook salmon and other environmental factors may be pushing the Southern Resident killer whales toward extinction, a new genetics study has revealed that inbreeding has been exerting a powerful, overriding influence upon the small, genetically isolated population.

    J27, a 32-year-old male orca named Blackberry, cruises off the Seattle waterfront in October 2012. Blackberry’s community, the endangered Southern Resident killer whales, are impaired by a high rate of inbreeding. Photo: National Marine Fisheries Service, taken under permit #16163
    Remembering Ken Balcomb and his extraordinary life with killer whales

    Environmental reporter Christopher Dunagan remembers the life and influence of pioneering orca researcher Ken Balcomb.  

    A man on a boat looking through a camera with a large lens.
    Four years after Tahlequah's journey, the legal and ethical debates over orca protection continue to evolve

    It has been four summers since a mother orca’s dramatic vigil brought worldwide attention to the plight of Puget Sound’s southern resident killer whales. A recent gathering of legal experts, conservationists, and academic scholars looked at how perceptions of the whales have changed since then and whether laws and policies should reflect new thinking about ethical responsibilities to orcas and other animals. 

    DFO photo of orca J35 known as Tahlequah pushing her calf on Aug. 8, 2018, off Cape Flattery, Wash. Photo by Sara Tavares, Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
    Placing microphones on orcas offers a point-of-whale perspective on underwater noise

    Research on the sounds and feeding behavior of Puget Sound's southern resident orcas is providing new insight into how the whales respond to underwater noise. A recent online conference brought together some of these findings along with discussions on how to reduce the impacts of noise from vessel traffic.

    A killer whale with a digital acoustic recording tag swimming in Puget Sound . Photo: NOAA/NWFSC (taken under NOAA research permit No.781-1824 and 16163).
    Southern residents’ winter diet comes into focus

    A 2021 paper in the journal PLoS ONE provides a clearer picture of what endangered southern resident orcas eat throughout the year. Chinook salmon make up the bulk of the whales' diet, but the paper suggests that other salmon species and non-salmonid fishes can also play important roles depending on the season.

    Researchers in a boat near killer whales
    Killer whale CSI

    Collisions with boats and other interactions with humans are "significant" causes of death for killer whales in the northeastern Pacific, a recent study says. The findings come from one of the most comprehensive looks at killer whale pathology to date, but scientists say determining how a killer whale may have died is often notoriously difficult.

    A group of southern resident killer whales swimming together near San Juan Island. Photo: Katy Foster/NOAA Fisheries, under permit 18786
    Pathology findings and correlation with body condition index in stranded killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the northeastern Pacific and Hawaii from 2004 to 2013

    A 2020 study of pathology reports for 53 stranded killer whales in the northeastern Pacific and Hawaii showed that deaths related to human interaction were found in every age class. Vessel strikes accounted for the deaths of four of the nine endangered southern resident killer whales identified in the study. The findings were published Dec. 2 in the journal PLOS ONE.

    Two southern resident killer whales. Photo courtesy of NOAA.
    Orcas without borders

    The Salish Sea’s endangered southern resident orcas travel freely across the U.S.-Canada border, unconstrained by political boundaries. But while they don’t require passports, they can still face differing policies and conditions as they go back and forth between nations. We look at some of the ways that the United States and Canada compare in their efforts to protect the whales.

    Southern resident killer whales. Photo by Candice Emmons/NOAA Fisheries (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
    Fungal disease a rising concern for local marine mammals

    A 2020 paper published in Frontiers in Marine Science describes details of the fungal disease Mucormycosis which has caused the death of harbor porpoises, harbor seals and one orca in Puget Sound in recent years. The authors discuss the implications for local marine mammals, specifically the endangered southern resident killer whale population.

    Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Bellingham Bay, WA. Photo: Andrew Reding (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
    Virus related to measles could push Puget Sound orcas to extinction, study says

    Researchers studying the killer whales that frequent Puget Sound are growing increasingly concerned that a dangerous virus or other disease-causing organism could spread through the population and hasten extinction of these critically endangered southern resident orcas.

    Researchers led by veterinarian Pete Schroeder capture the breath of orcas in a search for pathogenic organisms from 2007 to 2009. // Photo courtesy of Pete Schroeder
    Status and trends for West Coast transient (Bigg’s) killer whales in the Salish Sea

    Officially known as West Coast transients but increasingly referred to as Bigg’s killer whales, these marine mammal-eating orcas (Orcinus orca) are spending increasing time in the Salish Sea to consume their marine mammal prey including harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and harbor and Dall’s porpoise. They range from Southeast Alaska to California, but over the last 15 years more members of the population are spending increasing time in the inland waters of Washington State and British Columbia (Houghton et al. 2015, Shields et al. 2018). They have no predators (except perhaps occasionally other Bigg’s killer whales - see Towers et al. 2018), but are at risk from anthropogenic effects, including toxics and noise pollution (Ford et al. 2007).

    Bigg's killer whales. Photo: copyright Monika Shields, with permission
    Social networks a key to orca survival

    Understanding the social networks and family bonds of Puget Sound's southern resident orcas may be critical to keeping the endangered whales from extinction. A healthy population is about more than numbers, scientists say. It's about connections.


    A group of southern resident orcas swimming near San Juan Island. Photo: Rene Leubert (CC BY-NC 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/V4EERj
    Risk of a major oil spill generates action in Olympia

    Bills in the state legislature target oil spill threats to Puget Sound and its endangered killer whales.

    Close up of oil on water collected behind an oil boom. Photo: WA Department of Ecology (CC BY-NC 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/2f25AiG
    The orca docs: Can medical interventions help?

    This three-part series explores opportunities and challenges of using medical interventions to save Puget Sound's southern resident orcas from extinction. Part 1 looks at how scientists might treat endangered southern resident orcas that face starvation and risks of disease; Part 2 considers how veterinarians have intervened with other animals in the wild, and how this might apply to orcas in Puget Sound; and Part 3 explores a federally approved vaccination program designed to ward of a deadly virus among endangered Hawaiian monk seals.

    Clockwise from top left: 1) Mountain gorillas. Photo: Andries3 (CC BY-NC 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/andriesoudshoorn 2) J pod Southern resident orcas – Photo: Miles Ritter (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrmritter/42903242165 3) Scientists collect orca breath samples. Photo: Pete Schroeder 4) Hawaiian monk seal. Photo: Karen Bryan/Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology (CC BY-NC 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/papahanaumokuakea/38322932854
    The whales in our waters: The economic contribution of whale watching in San Juan County

    A 2019 report from the non-profit group Earth Economics look at revenues and other economic activity resulting from whale watching in San Juan County, Washington.

    Report cover
    Vaccines now used to reduce the risk of extinction in Hawaiian monk seals

    For critically endangered animal populations, experts worry that a highly infectious disease could be the final nail in the coffin, forcing the species into extinction. That’s one reason why federal authorities approved the development and deployment of a new vaccine to ward off the deadly morbillivirus among Hawaiian monk seals. The vaccination program raises the possibility of using vaccines to prevent disease among Puget Sound's southern resident killer whales, but no specific steps have been taken so far.

    A Hawaiian monk seal at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Photo by: Karen Bryan/Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology (CC BY-NC 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/papahanaumokuakea/38322932854
    Wildlife rescues may inform orca strategies

    As the plight of Puget Sound’s southern resident orcas becomes increasingly desperate, with the population dropping from 98 to 75 in just 22 years, scientists are weighing the options of medical intervention. In part two of our two-part series The Orca Docs we look at how veterinarians have intervened with other animals in the wild, and how this might apply to the situation here in Puget Sound. [Part one, "When should medical experts intervene to save a killer whale?" is also available.]

    Left: mountain gorillas. Photo: Andries3 (CC BY-NC 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/andriesoudshoorn. Right: J pod southern resident orcas – Photo: Miles Ritter (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrmritter/42903242165
    When should medical experts intervene to save a killer whale?

    The death of a young female orca in September has sparked a discussion of how and whether scientists should step in with medical care for distressed animals in the wild. Medical intervention has become routine for some endangered mammals, but scientists say Puget Sound’s resident orcas present a series of unique challenges and ethical questions. In part one of our two-part series The Orca Docs we look at how scientists are preparing to treat endangered southern resident orcas that face starvation and risks of disease.

    Scientists in a boat use a long pole to capture the breath of an orca. Photo: Pete Schroeder
    Sightings of southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea 1976−2014: the importance of a long-term opportunistic dataset

    A 2018 paper in the journal Endangered Species Research analyzes southern resident killer whale sightings in the Salish Sea between 1976 and 2014. 

    Southern resident killer whale breaching. Image courtesy of NOAA
    Orca captures for aquariums

    Between 1962 and 1973, at least 263 killer whales were caught or killed in the waters of British Columbia and Washington (Bigg and Wolman 1975). Twelve of these died during capture and fifty were kept for display in aquariums. The remainder of the captured animals escaped or were released. Twenty-seven of the whales kept as captive were taken from the population now designated as endangered southern-resident killer whales (Balcomb 2018). Of those captive whales, all but one have since died. The sole living whale, nicknamed Lolita, remains in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium.

    Balcomb, Ken. (2018). Center for Whale Research. Personal correspondence. 

    Bigg, M. A., & Wolman, A. A. (1975). Live-capture killer whale (Orcinus orca) fishery, British Columbia and Washington, 1962–73. Journal of the Fisheries Board of Canada, 32(7), 1213-1221.

    An orca show at Miami Seaquarium featuring southern-resident orca Lolita. Photo by Marc Averette. Avaiable through a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Ported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Miamiseaquariumlolita.jpg
    For declining orcas, food is fate

    Recent images of a mother orca appearing to grieve for her dead calf have brought worldwide attention to the plight of Puget Sound’s endangered Southern Resident orcas. As orca numbers decline, we look at how the effects of toxic chemicals on the whales are magnified even as the residents slowly starve from a general lack of Chinook salmon, their chief source of food. 

    J16 surfacing near Saturna Island, August 2012. Photo: Miles Ritter (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrmritter/7730710932
    Study would explore changes to protections for seals and sea lions

    As wildlife managers work to recover Puget Sound’s diminished Chinook population, a proposed white paper is expected to review the impacts of some of the salmon's chief predators. The study would include a section on potential management of seals and sea lions, prompting open discussion of a long taboo subject: Could officials seek to revise the Marine Mammal Protection Act — or even conduct lethal or non-lethal removal of seals and sea lions in some cases? Such actions are hypothetical, but we look at some of the ongoing discussions around the issue as prompted by a new resolution from the Puget Sound Leadership Council. 

    Harbor Seals sunning on intertidal rocks of Puget Sound. Photo: Tony Cyphert (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/tony717/14630242564
    Soundwatch: Eighteen years of monitoring whale watch vessel activities in the Salish Sea

    A December 2017 article in the journal PLOS One reports that incidents and violations among whale watching vessels have increased in the Central Salish Sea since 1998.

    Southern Resident killer whales and boats. Photo courtesy of NOAA
    Seals and sea lions may be slowing salmon recovery, hurting orcas

    Increased consumption of Chinook salmon by seals and sea lions in the Salish Sea “could be masking the success of coastwide salmon recovery efforts,” according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports. Endangered resident orcas are said to be declining in part due to a lack of available Chinook, the orcas' preferred prey.

    A young resident killer whale chases a chinook salmon in the Salish Sea near San Juan Island, WA. Sept 2017. Photo: (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/21wV8rV
    Study says predators may play major role in chinook salmon declines

    A new study shows that increased populations of seals and sea lions are eating far more of Puget Sound’s threatened chinook than previously known, potentially hampering recovery efforts for both salmon and endangered killer whales. 

    Sea lion sunbathing between meals in Seattle's Eliott Bay. Photo: Johnny Mumbles (CC BY 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/mumbles/3283168713
    Killer whale miscarriages linked to low food supply

    New techniques for studying orcas have been credited with breakthroughs in reproductive and developmental research. Drones and hormone-sniffing dogs are helping scientists connect declines in food supply with low birth rates and poor health. Update: The research described in this 2016 article has now been published in the 6/29/17 issue of the journal PLOS ONE. 

    Photogrammetry image of an adult female Southern Resident (J16) as she’s about to surface with her youngest calf, born earlier in 2015, alongside. Photo: NOAA Fisheries, Vancouver Aquarium
    Contaminants higher in resident 'blackmouth' Chinook

    Many of Puget Sound's Chinook salmon spend their entire lives in local waters and don't migrate to the open ocean. These fish tend to collect more contaminants in their bodies because of the sound's relatively high levels of pollution. 

    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Photo: WDFW
    New theory rethinks spread of PCBs and other toxics in Puget Sound

    Researchers are proposing a shift in thinking about how some of the region’s most damaging pollutants enter Puget Sound species like herring, salmon and orcas.

    Puget Sound's orcas are among the most contaminated marine mammals in the world. Photo: Minette Layne (CC-BY-2.0) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale#/media/File:Orca_porpoising.jpg
    Resident killer whales sometimes attack porpoises but never eat them

    The mysterious practice of killing porpoises may have a useful function, but it has yet to be fully explained, according to orca researcher Deborah Giles.

    A 6-year-old killer whale from L pod, known as L-73, chases a Dall’s porpoise in this historical photo taken in 1992. Photo: Debbie Dorand/Center for Whale Research
    Concerns rise over potential impacts of disease on the ecosystem

    From orcas to starfish to humans, disease affects every living creature in the ecosystem. Scientists are increasingly alarmed by its potential to devastate already compromised populations of species in Puget Sound.  

    Mist from the breath of killer whales is collected at the end of a long pole then tested for dozens of different types of bacteria. Photo: Pete Schroeder
    Stimulus-dependent response to disturbance affecting the activity of killer whales

    A 2015 paper presented to the International Whaling Commission compares the impacts of kayaks and powerboats on killer whale populations.

    18-year-old L92 Crewser male resident orca, born 1995, and kayaker. Photo: Andrew Reding (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/seaotter/9259744196/
    Citizens now the leading cause of toxics in Puget Sound

    New research presented at the 2014 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference shows that some of the greatest dangers to Puget Sound marine life come from our common, everyday activities. These pervasive sources of pollution are so woven into our lives that they are almost invisible to us, but it’s becoming impossible to ignore their effects.

    Stormwater flowing into catch basin carries contaminants to our waterways. Photo: Ben McLeod (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/benmcleod/420158390
    2013 Puget Sound Marine Waters Overview

    A report from the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program provides an overview of 2013 marine water quality and conditions in Puget Sound from comprehensive monitoring and observing programs.

    2013 Puget Sound Marine Waters Overview
    Salish Sea Hydrophone Network and Orca Network

    The Salish Sea Hydrophone Network and Orca Network are two citizen science projects dedicated to furthering our understanding of abundance, distribution, behavior, and habitat use by the endangered population of Southern Resident Killer Whales, also called orcas. The Hydrophone Network lets the public listen for orcas through their computers and phones, while the Orca Network gathers and disseminates sightings of orcas as they move between Puget Sound, the Fraser River, and the Pacific Ocean.

    Salish Sea Hydrophone Network locations and 2011
 orca sightings from the Orca Network Whale Sightings Network. Source: Salish Sea Hydrophone Network and Orca Network.
    Acoustic quality of critical habitats for three threatened whale populations

    A 2013 article in the journal Animal Conservation compares the effects of increasing anthropogenic noise to habitat loss for endangered fin, humpback and killer whales in the Salish Sea.

    Southern Resident Killer Whales in Puget Sound. Photo courtesy of NOAA
    Potential effects of the interaction between marine mammals and tidal turbines – an engineering and biomechanical analysis

    A paper presented at the European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference in Aalborg, Denmark describes the potential effects of a tidal turbine strike on an endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale in Puget Sound (SRKW). A tidal turbine is proposed for deployment in Admiralty Inlet in Island County. 

    Photo courtesy University of Washington Center for Conservation Biology; conservationbiology.net
    Report: Potential effects of PBDEs on Puget Sound and Southern Resident Killer Whales

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 and the National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Region have released a report describing results from a series of technical workgroups about the potential effects of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) on Puget Sound and Southern Resident killer whales.

    A "spy hopping" Southern Resident killer whale in the San Juan Islands. Image courtesy of NOAA.
    Paper: Spatial and temporal analysis of killer whale (Orcinus orca) strandings in the North Pacific Ocean and the benefits of a coordinated stranding response protocol

    A new paper by Puget Sound area scientists from the SeaDoc Society and their collaborators represents the most complete summary to date of killer whale (Orcinus orca) strandings in the North Pacific. The authors analyzed stranding records dating back to 1925, obtained from scientists worldwide, finding that very few whales are stranded (an average of ten a year over the last twenty years). However, most of those strandings result in death. Only 12% of stranded whales survive.

    Orca whale in Puget Sound. Image courtesy of NOAA.
    Report: Washington State status report for the Killer Whale

    This 2004 report looks at the status of Washington's four killer whale populations.

    Killer whale (Orcinus orca). Photo by Joseph Gaydos.
    Report: The effects of salmon fisheries on Southern Resident Killer Whales

    A recent report by an independent science panel reviewed data on the effects of salmon fisheries on Southern Resident Killer Whale populations. The report was released on November 30, 2012 and was commissioned by NOAA Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

    Photo courtesy of NOAA
    Killer whales in Puget Sound

    Three distinct groups of killer whales (Orcinus orca) occupy the coastal waters of the northeastern Pacific. These groups—northern and southern residents, transients, and offshores—are distinguished by diet, behavior, morphology, and other characteristics. Among these, southern resident and transient killer whales commonly are found in Puget Sound. Northern residents and offshore killer whales rarely enter Puget Sound (Wiles 2004, Kriete 2007), and therefore are not described in detail here.

    Killer whale (Orcinus orca). Photo courtesy of NOAA.
    Kingdom
    Animalia
    Phylum
    Craniata
    Class

    Mammalia

    Order

    Cetacea

    Family

    Delphinidae

    Genus

    Orcinus

    Classification
    Other Global Common Names
    Orca, Ballena Asesina - épaulard
    Informal Taxonomy
    <p>Animals, Vertebrates - Mammals - Whales and Dolphins</p>
    Formal Taxonomy
    Animalia - Craniata - Mammalia - Cetacea - Delphinidae - Orcinus - as monotypic.
    Short General Description
    A large cetacean.
    Habitat Type Description
    Marine
    Migration
    <p>true - false - true - The longest known movement involved three individuals photographed in Glacier Bay, Alaska, on 6 August 1989, and subsequently observed attacking gray whales in Monterey Bay, California, on 2 May 1992 (Goley and Straley 1994); whether this movement was transitory or migratory is unknown.</p>
    Non-migrant
    true
    Locally Migrant
    false
    Food Comments
    Opportunistic; diet differs seasonally and geographically. Eats marine mammals (seals, dolphins, occasionally baleen whales), birds, fishes, and squid. May hunt cooperatively. Off Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska, "transients" feed mainly on pinnipeds, "residents" feed primarily on salmon (Baird et al. 1992).
    Reproduction Comments
    Mating occurs late fall to midwinter in the northeastern Atlantic. Gestation lasts about 17 months (IUCN 1991). Litter size is 1. Calf may be dependent for at least 2 years, closely associated with mother for much of juvenile period. Calving interval has been estimated at 3-8 years (higher estimates may be more typical). Sexually mature at 10-18 years. Females become reproductively senescent at 35-45 years. Estimated maximum age 80-90 years in females, 50-60 years in males.
    Ecology Comments
    Travels in well-defined social groups (pods), usually of fewer than 40 (averaging less than 10); sometimes forms aggregations exceeding 100. Studies in Puget Sound indicate strong social bonds and stable group structure. Typical pod contains mature females and their young (1-3 juveniles per female) and variable proportions of of males and/or post-reproductive females.
    Length
    9100
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    G4G5
    Global Status Last Reviewed
    1996-11-15
    Global Status Last Changed
    1996-11-15
    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S3&CA.LB=SNR&CA.NU=SNR&CA.QC=S3&US.AK=S4&US.CA=SNR&US.FL=SNR&US.ME=SNR&US.MD=__&US.MA=S1&US.NY=__&US.NC=__&US.OR=__&US.SC=SNR&US.TX=S1&US.WA=S1" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    Global Range
    H - >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles) - H - Throughout the world's oceans and seas, from high latitudes to the equator; most common in cooler coastal waters of both hemispheres, with the greatest abundance within 800 km from continental coasts.
    Global Range Code
    H
    Global Range Description
    >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105428