FALSE KILLER WHALE

Identification

Size

• to a maximum of 6 m

Colour

• black all over

Dorsal fin

• small, curved dorsal fin like that of a female killer whale

Blow

• low and bushy

Surface Behaviour

• may breach or porpoise
• may bowride on vessels

Group size / social behaviour

• extremely social, usually in large groups of 20 – 100 animals

Other characteristics

• has a distinctively shaped pectoral fin that bulges in the front
• has a rounded head or “melon”

Can be confused with

• killer whale (but is smaller and has no white patches)
• pilot whale (but is shaped more like a classic dolphin, and has no white patches

Notes

• false killer whales have been known to bowride on vessel wakes
• although they resemble killer whales, false killer whales are more closely related to Risso’s dolphins (see below) and pilot whales
• many stranded false killer whales have been found to have large quantities of plastic in their stomachs