Orca Week

06/05/2026

GLOBAL ORCA WEEK 2026
Daily updated images and stories about the different global regions where Orcas and scientists most commonly reside and visit. (www.globalorcaweek.org)

06/04/2026

CWR SHOWS UP FOR ORCA ACTION MONTH
"This community shows up for the Southern Residents in so many ways! For Orca Action Month, check out a few of the events our team will be joining alongside incredible organizations doing this work. See you out there." Center for Whale Research

06/04/2026

JUNE IS ORCA ACTION MONTH
"Started by Orca Network in 2007, Orca Month (www.orcamonth.org) was created to bring together researchers, advocates, and orca lovers everywhere to raise awareness about the endangered Southern Resident orcas. Now coordinated by the Orca Salmon Alliance and many partners, Orca Month is celebrated each year in Washington, Oregon and beyond - raising awareness of the threats facing the Southern Resident orca population and discovering what we all can do to protect them." Orca Network

June is Orca Action Month! Started by Orca Network in 2007, Orca Month was created to bring together researchers, advocates, and orca lovers everywhere to raise awareness about the endangered Southern Resident orcas. Now coordinated by the Orca Salmon Alliance and many partners, Orca Month is celebrated each year in Washington, Oregon and beyond - raising awareness of the threats facing the Southern Resident orca population and discovering what we all can do to protect them.

The theme for Orca Action Month this year is "Orcas Can't Vote, but You Can!" Please check out the Orca Month website (www.orcamonth.org) and social media for more information and to find an event near you!

05/26/2026

TYPE D MORE GLOBAL THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT
"Type D orcas appear to be more numerous than expected, and far more wide-ranging. Some individuals were photographed in the southern Indian Ocean and then spotted again in the South Atlantic, over 4,400 km away. That’s the longest east-west movement ever documented for any killer whale." Jared Towers

✨ NEW KILLER WHALE RESEARCH ✨
Type D killer whales were only officially described in 2011, and until now we’ve had almost no idea how many exist, where they go, or how they live.
A new 21-year study is the first to tackle those questions, and the answers are surprising.
Despite being one of the most in**ed mammal populations ever recorded, Type D orcas appear to be more numerous than expected, and far more wide-ranging. Some individuals were photographed in the southern Indian Ocean and then spotted again in the South Atlantic, over 4,400 km away. That’s the longest east-west movement ever documented for any killer whale!
What’s equally striking is the cultural divide within the population. About half of all known individuals have learned to steal Patagonian toothfish from commercial longlines, a behavior passed down within tight social groups that return to the same fishing grounds for up to 21 years. The other half have never been seen doing it, despite living in the same waters and having the same opportunities for decades.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about these whales. But for the first time, we’re starting to see the big picture!
📖 Jared Towers et al. — Total Numbers and Movements of Photo-identified Subantarctic (Type D) Killer Whales. Marine Mammal Science, 2026 LINK in the first comment!

05/18/2026

ORCAS of PUNTA NORTE
"On May 17th, Valen(PTN-009) was seen again with her offspring Emyr, Solei, and her new 2026 calf at Punta Norte. They were accompanied by Jaluel (PTN-019), who even attempted a capture on the shore. Thanks to Aldana and Gonzalo for the information and photos!" Punta Norte Orca Research

05/12/2026

ORCAS of HAWAII
"No matches with the much larger eastern tropical Pacific killer whale catalogs were found. Photographs were used to characterize the morphology of individuals, examining details of the eye patch, dorsal fin, and saddle patch, to assess the potential for multiple morphologically distinct populations in the central tropical Pacific. However, these analyses revealed considerable within-group variation in all of these traits, suggesting that there may just be a single central tropical Pacific population. This study is the first to characterize vocalizations across multiple observed groups within this population, including high-frequency modulated whistles that may be the killer whales’ primary means of within-group communication." Cascadia Research Collective

05/07/2026

ORCAS of MONTEREY BAY, CALIFORNIA
"We first encountered the CA35s, who includes CA35, CA35A, and CA35B "Shadow" as they patrolled the canyon for prey. Then farther out west, we encountered older females CA175A (lovingly referred to as "Funky Fin") and CA180 traveling together" MBWW
photo by Daniel Bianchetta

05/05/2026

ORCAS of IBERIA
Save the Iberian Orca 2026 campaign
"We’re back in the water in the Strait of Gibraltar with a clear mission: to protect the Iberian orca, its environment and to improve coexistence between humans and these very special marine mammals." WeWhale

05/02/2026

ORCAS of LOFOTEN NORWAY
"For days I worked in the thin margin of decent visibility provided by the Arctic sun that never fully crested the horizon. The low light was challenging enough on its own, but was especially difficult to master in the pitch-black waters off of Lofoten." Paul Nicklen Photography

05/01/2026

ORCA ATHLETIC ACTION in AUSTRALIA
"The excitement, the awe, and that unreal moment they surface beside the boat. Up close with an apex predator in its natural world." Naturaliste Charters Bremer Canyon Killer Whale and Pelagic Expeditions