Killer Whale (Type D)

About the Killer Whale (Type D)

A recently identified ecotype of orca with a smaller white eye patch and more bulbous head. Only a handful of sightings exist since first being described in 1955. In 2019, scientists encountered a pod of 30 and collected biopsy samples confirming them as a distinct type. They may be the largest undescribed animal on the planet. They are rarely seen because they live in the turbulent waters of the Southern Ocean. Their diet appears to be primarily fish. Genetic analysis suggests they diverged from other orcas 390,000 years ago.