Niche

Where the Killer Whale Lives

The killer whale's natural habitat is all over the world's oceans. They are more commonly found in cold-water upwelling places such as the Pacific Northwest and in the Atlantic, hunting penguins and seals. Killer whales are also found in tropical areas as well. Rarely are killer whales found by fresh water. Type A to Type D whales prefer different bodies of water with varying amounts of ice. Sometimes migration of prey causes orcas to move seasonally with it. Resident groups in the Pacific Northwest move along with the migration of salmon. Type A orcas migrate to the Antarctic during austral summer. Type B orcas migrate from the Antarctic to the subtropical waters possibly for maintenance and not risking heat loss.