Killer whale (Orcinus orca) occurrence off Peru, 1995-2003

Abstract

Records of the killer whale (Orcinus orca) in Peruvian waters are scarce and mostly anecdotal. Despite reports of many artisanal fishermen of occasional sightings of killer whales, these records have not been confirmed, resulting in a limited number of reliable reports of this species off Peru during the last century (e.g. Bini, 1951; Grimwood, 1969; Dahlheim et al., 1982; Van Waerebeek et al., 1988; Majluf and Reyes, 1989). To date, no records of strandings of killer whales are known for Peru. Due to the high concentration of its potential prey (cetaceans and pinnipeds) in the Peruvian waters (Majluf and Reyes, 1989) this species would be expected to be more common than previously recorded.