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Common Killer Whale

Orcinus orca

Mammal · family Delphinidae · order Cetacea

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G4: apparently secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Common Killer Whale
Photo: Robert Pittman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Endangered (some populations)[1]
NatureServe global rank
G4 Apparently Secure[2]
Native in
12 states[3]
Longest recorded life
90 years[4]

The common killer whale, also called the orca, is a mammal in the dolphin family Delphinidae[5][6]. NatureServe lists it as native along the coasts of 12 US states, including Alaska, Washington and California[3], and one US population, the Southern Resident group, is listed as Endangered[1].

Conservation status

Under the US Endangered Species Act, only the Southern Resident distinct population segment is listed, with the status Endangered since February 16, 2006[1]. A distinct population segment is a group of animals the law can protect on its own. Worldwide, NatureServe ranks the species G4 (Apparently Secure), and it gives the same N4 (Apparently Secure) rank for the United States as a whole[2][7]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Data deficient, which means there is not enough information to judge its risk, and the species is on CITES Appendix II, which controls international trade[8][9].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Endangered, listed February 16, 2006 (Southern Resident DPS See 50 CFR 224.101)
NatureServe global rank[2] G4 (Apparently Secure)
NatureServe US rank[7] N4 (Apparently Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[8] Data deficient
CITES (international trade)[9] Appendix II

Where Common Killer Whale lives

NatureServe lists the killer whale as native in 12 US states: Alaska, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Washington[3]. Each of these states also gives the whale its own conservation rank, shown in the table on this page[10]. The states with the most GBIF sighting records are Washington, Alaska, California, Oregon and Massachusetts, but these counts follow where people watch and report, not how many whales live there[11].

Alaska: native, state rank S4AKMaine: native, state rank SNRMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: native, state rank S2WAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: native, state rank SNRNNYMassachusetts: native, state rank S1MAOregon: native, state rank SNAORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: native, state rank SNRCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: native, state rank SNAMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: native, state rank SNANCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S4SCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S1TXFlorida: native, state rank SNRFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[10].
Show state ranks (12 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlaskaS4Apparently Secure
CaliforniaSNRNot Ranked
FloridaSNRNot Ranked
MaineSNRNot Ranked
MarylandSNANot Applicable
MassachusettsS1Critically Imperiled
New YorkSNRNNot Ranked (nonbreeding)
North CarolinaSNANot Applicable
OregonSNANot Applicable
South CarolinaS4Apparently Secure
TexasS1Critically Imperiled
WashingtonS2Imperiled

Habitat

NatureServe records three habitat types for this whale: bays and sounds, open sea, and waters near shore[12]. It is found mostly in coastal waters, yet it can turn up in any of the world's oceans or large seas in any season[13].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[12]

Size, diet and lifespan

Killer whales eat meat and fish[14]. Their food changes with the season and the region, and can include seals, dolphins, now and then large baleen whales, seabirds, fish and squid, sometimes caught by working as a group[15]. One estimate puts the diet at 50% warm-blooded animals, 25% invertebrates and 25% fish[16]. A typical length recorded by NatureServe is 910 cm (358 in)[17], and the longest recorded lifespan in the wild is 90 years[4]. Females usually have 1 young at a time[18]. Pregnancy lasts 435 days[19]. Females reach breeding age at 3,780 days of age[20].

Trait Value
Typical length[17] 910 cm (358 in)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 90 years (wild)
Litter or clutch size[18] 1
Gestation or incubation[19] 435 days
Female maturity[20] 3,780 days (about 10.3 years)
Food habits[14] Carnivore, Piscivore
Active[21] nocturnal, crepuscular, diurnal
Migration[22] non-migrant, long-distance migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[16]

  • 50% warm-blooded vertebrates
  • 25% invertebrates
  • 25% fish

When to look for it

Killer whales can be active by day, by night and at dawn and dusk (crepuscular)[21][23]. Some populations stay in one area all year, while others travel long distances[22]. In the United States, GBIF sighting records peak in May, June and July, which reflects when people are out looking as much as the whales themselves[24].

January: 427 recordsJanFebruary: 290 recordsFebMarch: 705 recordsMarApril: 1,262 recordsAprMay: 1,855 recordsMayJune: 2,265 recordsJunJuly: 2,222 recordsJulAugust: 1,793 recordsAugSeptember: 1,240 recordsSepOctober: 777 recordsOctNovember: 550 recordsNovDecember: 580 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[24].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January427
February290
March705
April1,262
May1,855
June2,265
July2,222
August1,793
September1,240
October777
November550
December580

Where to see it

This species is protected or at risk, so we show its range only at the state level. We do not publish parks, nesting, spawning or wintering sites.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Washington, Alaska, California, Oregon, Massachusetts[11]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the killer whale endangered?
Only the Southern Resident population is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act, since February 16, 2006[1]. NatureServe ranks the species overall as G4 (Apparently Secure)[2].
Where do killer whales live in the US?
NatureServe lists them as native in 12 states, from Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California to Atlantic and Gulf states such as Maine, Florida and Texas[3]. They mostly use coastal waters but can appear in any of the world's oceans[13].
What do killer whales eat?
They eat marine mammals such as seals and dolphins, plus birds, fish and squid, and the mix changes by season and place[15]. One estimate gives 50% warm-blooded animals, 25% invertebrates and 25% fish[16].
How big is a killer whale?
NatureServe records a typical length of 910 cm (358 in)[17].
When is the best time to see killer whales?
In the United States, sighting records on GBIF peak in May, June and July[24]. These records show when people report whales, not how many there are[24].

Facts and sources

  1. Under the US Endangered Species Act, Killer whale has the status Endangered, listed February 16, 2006 (USFWS ECOS). Listed entity: Southern Resident DPS See 50 CFR 224.101. USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Common Killer Whale: G4 (Apparently Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Common Killer Whale as native in 12 US states and territories: Alaska, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Washington. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 90 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. Common Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) is a mammal in the family Delphinidae, order Cetacea. NatureServe Explorer
  6. Other English names listed by NatureServe for Common Killer Whale: Killer Whale, Orca, Ballena Asesina. NatureServe Explorer
  7. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N4 (Apparently Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  8. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Data deficient. NatureServe Explorer
  9. CITES listing recorded by NatureServe: Appendix II (controls on international trade). NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe state ranks for Common Killer Whale (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  11. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Common Killer Whale: Washington, Alaska, California, Oregon, Massachusetts. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  12. Habitat types NatureServe records for Common Killer Whale: Bay/sound, Pelagic, Near shore. NatureServe Explorer
  13. NatureServe notes on habitat for Common Killer Whale. NatureServe Explorer
  14. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Carnivore, Piscivore. NatureServe Explorer
  15. NatureServe notes on food for Common Killer Whale. NatureServe Explorer
  16. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 50% warm-blooded vertebrates, 25% invertebrates, 25% fish. EltonTraits 1.0
  17. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 910 cm (358 in). NatureServe Explorer
  18. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 1. AnAge
  19. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 435 days. AnAge
  20. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 3,780 days (about 10.3 years). AnAge
  21. Activity time in EltonTraits 1.0: nocturnal, crepuscular, diurnal. EltonTraits 1.0
  22. NatureServe migration category for Common Killer Whale: non-migrant, long-distance migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  23. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Circadian. NatureServe Explorer
  24. GBIF observation records of Common Killer Whale in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Robert Pittman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.