Orcinus orca

SIZE: Male – 6.3 m, Female – 5.9 m

SEASON – Highest probability of sightings: from March to June

The orca, or killer whale (the name is interchangeable) is the ocean’s apex predator and the largest member of the dolphin family. Orcas are highly intelligent, highly social animals with complex vocalisations and behaviours. Different populations and ecotypes around the world can have very different diets, vocal repertoires and hunting traditions, with many of these behaviours learned and passed on socially.

In some areas, orcas prey on large whales and even great white sharks. However, orcas in West Iceland mostly feed on fish, predominantly herring. Some of the individuals we see in Iceland also travel to Scotland for part of the year, where they have been documented feeding on seals and other marine mammals. North Atlantic killer whales do not fit neatly into the “resident” and “transient” groupings described for killer whales in the Pacific Northwest.

Orcas are toothed whales and belong to the dolphin family (Delphinidae). They live in stable, closely connected family groups, or matrilines, centred around related females. In many populations, sons can remain associated with their mothers throughout their lives. Adult males are easily recognised by their enormous dorsal fins, which can reach around 2 metres in height. The dorsal fin, together with the distinctive grey saddle patch and other markings, allows researchers to identify individual orcas and follow them over time.

This is where photo-identification (photo-ID) becomes particularly valuable. By documenting individual whales and their family groups, researchers can learn more about their movements, social structure, feeding habits and long-term population patterns. At Láki Tours, we support the ongoing Icelandic orca photo-ID and research work carried out by Orca Guardians Iceland, a non-profit conservation organisation we closely collaborate with. This identification work contributes to long-term monitoring and conservation of Icelandic orcas.

Láki Tours is the only whale watching company in Iceland to encounter orcas regularly. They are present from winter to early summer, when the herring is in the fjord. The best time to try and see them is between March and June (with statistically highest chances in April and May), when we see them on the majority of tours, but of course not every day.