Listen to the Orca
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Orca
The Orca is a mammal in the family Delphinidae (order Artiodactyla). Wikidata describes it as “species in the oceanic dolphin family”. Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “Data Deficient”.
What does the Orca sound like?
Mammals produce sound with their larynx, from deep roars and rumbles to squeaks, barks, howls and – in bats, whales and dolphins – ultrasonic clicks used for echolocation.
The recordings here are labelled as killer whale. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The orca (Orcinus orca), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus Orcinus, it is recognizable by its distinct pigmentation; being mostly black on top, white on the bottom and having recognizable white eye patches. A cosmopolitan species, it inhabits a wide range of marine environments, from Arctic to Antarctic regions to tropical seas, but is more commonly documented in temperate or cooler coastal waters. Scientists have proposed dividing the global population into races, subspecies, or possibly even species.
More from the family Delphinidae
Frequently asked questions
What does an Orca sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the Orca on this page, including its killer whale. Mammals produce sound with their larynx, from deep roars and rumbles to squeaks, barks, howls and – in bats, whales and dolphins – ultrasonic clicks used for echolocation.
Is the Orca endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Orca as “Data Deficient”.
What family does the Orca belong to?
The Orca (Orcinus orca) belongs to the family Delphinidae in the order Artiodactyla.
Sources & credits
- Killer whale – Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q26843 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Orca – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Robert Pittman – Public domain