False killer whales are oceanic dolphins found in deep, open waters throughout the tropics . Entirely grey black in colour, they lack the white patches found on killer whales. False killer whales are so named because the shape of their skulls, not their external appearance, is similar to that of killer whales. Reaching up to 6 meters in length, the species behaves much more like a smaller dolphin, swimming quickly, occasionally leaping, and sometimes approaching whale watching vessels. Killer whales are found in all oceans. While they are most abundant in colder waters like Antarctica, Norway, and Alaska, they are also found in tropical and subtropical waters. The most well-studied killer whale populations occur in the eastern North Pacific Ocean. They eat Orcas, also known as killer whales despite being members of the same family as dolphins, are apex predators who are known to feed on nearly every species of large whale.
What do false killer whales do to dolphins? In the Eastern Pacific, the false killer whale has been known to target smaller dolphins during tuna purse-seine fishing operations; there are cases of attacks on sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), and one instance against a calf of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).
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