Is There Really a New Species of Killer Whale Out There?

Physical differentiation between a regular killer whale (bottom) and a possible new species or Type D (top)

Killer whales are the most well-known species of whales in the world. Most people have either seen or heard of them when visiting theme parks such as SeaWorld, going whale-watching, or watching various nature documentaries and films like Free Willy. These magnificent whales have captivated people's imaginations for generations. But somewhere off the coast of southern Chile, for decades, there have been rumors and stories from tourists and local fishermen about what could be a new species of killer whale. Now, the scientific community has had the opportunity to witness this new species for the first time. An international team of researchers stated they found a couple dozen of these distinctive orcas off the coast of Cape Horn in January. They further added that they are waiting for DNA tests from a sample of tissue taken from one of the whales, but believe that the whales may be a different species. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) felt positive enough to announce the discovery of the new killer whale species on Thursday. However, some experts were more cautious and stated that they would wait for the test results even though they agreed the whales are different. One of them is marine mammal educator at the Smithsonian Institution Michael McGowen, who stated that calling these whales a new species without scientific data may be "premature." Robert Pitman, a NOAA marine biologist in San Diego who was part of the team that sighted the whales off Cape Horn, believes that the animals are distinct from other killer whales. For example, unlike regular killer whales, these whales appeared to have a tiny white patch above the eye and their heads were a bit more rounded and less smooth. In addition, the whales' dorsal fins were narrower and pointed. Dr. Pitman further added that Cape Horn's whales mostly ate fish, instead of marine mammals like seals and sea lions, which explained why local fishermen complained about the whales successfully ripping apart their fishing lines. The whales probably cannot breed with other killer whales. Measuring 20-25 feet long, these whales are a little smaller than ordinary killer whales. And while majority of killer whales in the southern hemisphere are categorized in Types A through C, this particular species Dr. Pitman stated is called Type D or subantarctic killer whales.

View of Cape Horn

I find it amazing that there is a particularly unique type of killer whale off the coast of Cape Horn that possesses distinctive characteristics from ordinary killer whales. But is this really a new species of killer whale? I think to answer this question, I believe it is important to obtain DNA test results in order to be sure. Physical characteristics alone are not sufficient enough to prove a species' distinctiveness. For example, when a team of researchers from the Smithsonian Institution studied the "golden jackal" populations in Africa four years ago, they were able to determine through mitochondrial DNA analysis that the animals are in fact distinct from golden jackals and a new species in the dog family. Similarly, scientists and researchers studying killer whales off the coast of Cape Horn to conduct DNA analysis in order to determine whether the animals are truly a distinct species or not. They should not just examine physical and behavioral characteristics to show that these are a distinct species.

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