Orca
Amazing fact
Orcas swallow small prey whole and tend to tear larger prey apart before eating it.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Orcas swallow small prey whole and tend to tear larger prey apart before eating it.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Orca
- Scientific name
- Orcinus orca
- Japanese name
- シャチ
- Group
- Ocean animals
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Delphinidae
- Genus
- Orcinus
Most live in related family groups and communicate with underwater sounds.
How the Orca lives
Orcas often cooperate when hunting. They may move elsewhere when food becomes scarce. They may share prey within their pod.
NOAA FisheriesUniversity of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
- Lifespan
- 30–90 years
Where the Orca has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- シャチ
- 简体中文
- 虎鲸
- 繁體中文
- 虎鯨
- 한국어
- 범고래
- Español
- Orca
- Français
- Orque
- Deutsch
- Schwertwal
- Português (Brasil)
- Orca
- Italiano
- Orca
- हिन्दी
- किलर व्हेल
- العربية
- حوت قاتل
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Paus pembunuh
- Tiếng Việt
- Cá voi sát thủ
- Русский
- Косатка
- Türkçe
- Katil balina
- ไทย
- วาฬเพชฌฆาต
- বাংলা
- ঘাতক তিমি
- اردو
- قاتل حوت
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- NOAA Fisheries — Killer whaleChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Orcinus orcaChecked: 2026-11-05
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Orca, look for this
- Look for the gray or white patch behind the dorsal fin.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
NOAA FisheriesEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Orca
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Chubu
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquariumプール移動などのため見られない場合あり(公式館内案内の注記)
Kinki
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Delphinidae
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