These may be ranging Type 1 North Atlantic killer whales or they may be their own ecotype. Then there are the ‘tropical killer whales’ seen in the Gulf of Mexico and around the Caribbean Sea. There are also sightings of orca around Hawaii, potentially offshore killer whales or perhaps a new ecotype. These may be part of the current North Atlantic ecotypes, or they may be separate types of killer whale. Orca are found in all waters around the northern hemisphere, with distinct populations observed off the coast of eastern Canada as well as in the Strait of Gibraltar. They’ve got keenly sharp teeth for shredding flesh off prey, and exhibit distinctive slopping eye patches. Being feeders of larger prey, they themselves are large types of killer whale, one of the largest found. Type 2 hunt large mammal prey such as dolphins and whales, which leads them to source their food from a wider range than Type 1, which can rely heavily on coastal fisheries and spawning grounds. Northern Atlantic Type 2 killer whales are found off the coasts of Norway and Iceland, although they’ve also been seen as far south as the Azores. Offshore orca are the smallest killer whale in the northern hemisphere, which supports their large pod society and expansive food range, as they’re able to share and go longer without meals. Offshore orca have been seen sharing food with older animals who likely cannot make kills due to damaged teeth from a life of shark hunting. It is unknown what exactly offshore killer whales feed on, although it is suspected that sharks make up the majority of their diet due to the wear seen on the teeth of offshore orca, thought to be caused by the rough skin of a shark. This allows them to rely on others to help find food in such a vast hunting ground. As is commonly observed in open ocean predators, offshore killer whale hunt in pods of around 50 animals, the largest communities of orca for any ecotype. Offshore killer whales are found off the coast of California and range all the way to Russia. This is simply because they hunt in the open ocean away from inhabited shorelines and are therefore difficult to spot and observe. The offshore killer whale is the most elusive type of orca in the northern hemisphere.

Iceman killer name