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The killer whale, Orcinus orca, is second only to humans as the most widely distributed mammal on earth. It ranges from the tropical seas through the temperate zones to the edge of the pack ice at both poles. Yet it is only in the last quarter-century that we have begun to learn something about the nature of this remarkable animal. There are several reasons for this. Like all cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), killer whales live at sea and spend most of their time underwater and out of sight. Compared to most terrestrial animals, this makes them difficult to observe and study in the wild. Also, the species does not appear to be very abundant in most parts of its range. There are concentrations in certain waters, such as off Antarctica, northern Japan, Iceland, Norway, Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington State, but killer whales are only sighted sporadically in most parts of the world.
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