Killer Whales Australia is a citizen science initiative dedicated to collating sightings and identifying killer whales across eastern Australia. Established in 1994 as the Southern Ocean Orca Database (SOOD), the project originally focused on killer whales around Macquarie Island and the Southern Ocean. From this time, it has grown to include sightings from the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.
The aim of the project is to better understand the movement patterns, population size and individual associations of killer whales in Eastern Australian waters. Sightings date back as far as 1986 and cover all coastal states except Western Australia. As killer whale movements are difficult to predict, it makes them difficult to study. This being the case we rely on sighting reports from citizen scientists, fellow researchers and eco-tour operators.
Over the years, reports and images provided by dedicated citizen scientists around Eastern Australia has enabled Killer Whales Australia to create an identification catalogue of over 80 individual killer whales seen in eastern Australia. Individual killer whales can be identified through three key traits, their dorsal fin shape, saddle patch and eye patch. An updated 2025 edition of the catalogue is currently being developed!
Killer whale ecotypes in Australian waters
While killer whales around the world belong to the same species (Orcinus orca), there are currently 10 recognised ecotypes or forms globally. Ecotypes are distinct populations within a species that have evolved unique features and behavioural adaptations to suit their ecological needs. They are typically defined by a combination of traits, including prey preferences, distribution, social structure, foraging behaviour, vocalisations, physical characteristics, and genetics.
Most of the killer whales documented in our records belong to a currently undescribed type that closely resembles the Antarctic Type A ecotype. Work is actively underway to formally describe the killer whales found in Australian waters, and we will continue to update our community as more information becomes available.
We also hold confirmed sightings of Antarctic Type B and Type C killer whales. You can read more about the Type C sightings here.
