BBC - Scotland the Wild

The orca is one of the fastest animals in the sea. The record holder is a male timed at 55.5 km/h (34.5 mph). It is also one of the most widespread mammals on Earth.

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Latin Name: Orcinus orca

Scottish Name: Killer whale.

Gaelic Name: Madadh-cuain.

Statistics: Male: length 7-8m, weight 5-10,000kg. Female: length 5-7m, weight 3-7,000kg.

Physical Description: Orcas are distinctively coloured. The dorsal surface is mostly black except for a grey saddle behind the dorsal fin. The underside of the body and underside of the flukes are white and there is a white eyespot behind each eye. They have a huge dorsal fin - 1.8m (6ft) high - the tallest dorsal fin in the animal kingdom.

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	Scottish Distribution: Many sightings in Shetland and the North Coast. Diet: Orcas are top predators in the ocean. Their food preferences vary according to their locality. Prey includes marine mammals (other whales, seals, sea-lions, walruses), fish, squid and occasionally sea birds, sea otters and penguins.