What Do Killer Whales Eat?
Killer whales are apex predators. They’re the most powerful killer in our oceans, capable of tackling massive prey like blue whales and even taking down great white sharks. They’re capable of eating just about anything in the sea, which is why they range so far across the world in search of meals. But the question of what killer whales eat is a little more complicated than a simple list of animals.
So, let’s start with a list of animals killer whales eat. Killer whales have been known to hunt:
Fish
Stingray
Manta ray
Sharks
Dolphins
Whales
Turtles
Seals
Walrus
Sea Lion
Squid
Jellyfish
Penguins
Sea birds
Dugongs
Killer whales have even been observed eating moose crossing shallow waters between islands. Basically killer whales eat almost everything - except for people, a preference we still don’t fully understand.
So where does the complexity come into it?
Killer Whales: The Pickiest Eaters in the Ocean?
There are numerous different families and types of orca in our seas, each of which has their own specific diet.
In the Antarctic and South Pacific for example, there are five unique killer whale populations that all feed in different ways.
Type A - These killer whale feed exclusively on large prey like whales and elephant seals
Type B (Large) - These killer whales go for weddell seals but will eat small minke whales
Type B (Small) - Ignoring mammals, small Type B killer whales will eat penguins and fish
Type C - In a very specific diet, Type C killer whales eat a very limited species of fish
Type D - A rarity, we don’t know much about their diet, but they’ve been observed eating fish.
Then you have killer whales in other regions. In the North Pacific there are two types:
Transient - These killer whales will eat large and small mammals. This includes whales, seals and even otters.
Resident - Resident orca eat fish. 95% of their diet consists of salmon.
Finally we have the North Atlantic killer whale. These orca are found in the regions of Norway (one of the best places to see killer whales in the world) Iceland and Scotland.
Type 1 - These killer whales mainly eat herring and will rarely feed on anything else.
Type 2 - Specialised mammal killers, they’ll hunt whales, dolphins and porpoise.
The fascinating thing about killer whales is they don’t eat outside their population’s designated diet. For example, a Type 2 Atlantic killer whale that came across a juicy herring would swim right on by. A Type 1 that found a helpless minke whale would leave it well alone. These animals are proved to be sustainable food sources for the animals, but they just won’t eat them if they aren’t on that population’s specific menu.
Why is this?
The prevailing theory is that it is a hunting strategy formed between families of killer whales that prevents them competing with other pods. Killer whales are devastatingly effective killers, found in every ocean and sea around the world. If they were to all hunt the same prey, regional stocks would struggle to support them and populations may die off. By evolving to be particular in their prey, a strategy no other animal uses, they’ve secured the survival not just of their own family of killer whales, but those of other groups in the area as well.
Killer whales are known to be highly intelligent and sociable animals, with complex emotions and language. While we could look at this from a cultural perspective, it’s important to note the benefit in terms of genetics, too. Killer whales breed with other pods. Ensuring the survival of a wide range of genetic material increases the chance of healthy offspring. By finding their niche in food stocks, they keep their family lines strong.
The final point worth making is that this preference for a very particular prey makes killer whales specialised hunters. We’ve seen orca generate waves in the water to displace seals on the ice, and killer whales aquaplane in Argentina to pluck seal pups from the usual safety of the beach. This specialisation has allowed orca to be incredibly effective and efficient in hunting their prey, again supporting their survival.
Whichever way you look at it, their unusual practice of eating unique diets works for the animal.
Learn more about orca with our killer whales fact guide.
