are orca endangered
All marine mammals, including killer whales, are protected in the United States under the MMPA. The AT1 stock of the North Pacific transient killer whale was designated as depleted under the MMPA after its drastic decline after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. There are a number of factors contributing to the current endangered status of whales such as overfishing, pollution, dam/bridge construction, private/commercial boating and commercial whaling, but out of these contributing factors commercial whaling has had the largest affect on the endangered status of today’s existing whale populations. Endangered Species Act Status of Puget Sound Killer Whales. Killer whales are widely distributed in the world's oceans, but the status of most populations of killer whales is unknown. All killer whale populations are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Only two populations receive special protections under Federal Law: The Southern Resident Population was listed as endangered in 2005 under the Endangered Species Act and are considered depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. slide 1 of 4. Endangered Killer Whales Killer whales are beautiful mammals with a very distinct black and white color pattern. A killer whale is enormous in size, reaching up to 32 feet in length and weighing more than 16,500 pounds. These whales have a long life span of up to 50 to 60 years. Creature Profile. Also, called the orca, the killer whale is the largest of the dolphins and said to be one of the world's most powerful predators of the sea. They are immediately recognizable by their black tops and white bellies, and they have white patches near the eyes. They are very intelligent and trainable stars in many aquarium shows. Killer whales are the most widely distributed marine mammals, found in all parts of the oceans. They are most abundant in colder waters, including Antarctica, the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, though they also occur, at lower densities, in tropical, subtropical, and offshore waters. Note: The only known natural predators to whales (besides humans) are attacks from a pack of hungry killer whales. Even though killer whales are known to attack whales on rare occasions their attacks are so few that they can not be considered a cause of the endangered whale species. Killer whales have a sleek, streamlined fusiform body; their physical characteristics are adapted for life in an aquatic environment. When male killer whales approach adulthood, they acquire typical male characteristics; they gain weight, and their spectoral flippers, dorsal fins, and flukes grow longer than those of the females. Killer whales are most abundant in colder waters, including Antarctica, Norway, and Alaska. However, killer whales can also be fairly abundant in temperate waters. Killer whales also occur, though at lower densities, in tropical, subtropical, and offshore waters. In the past whales were hunted for raw materials such as their oil and meat which was used to make: 1  Oil – Lamp oil, soap, perfume, candles and cosmetics. 2  Food – Cooking oil, margarine and whale meat. 3  Clothing – corsets and umbrellas.  and various other products including tools such as fishing hooks.
Yes, orca are endangered.