The Type D made me wonder about the enigma called Wilson's whale, but the identification is far from certain.
Orca (NOAA photo: I think Type C)
Friday, March 08, 2019
New footage of the most elusive orca
This is not the first time this animal has been observed, but it's a reminder that marine creatures can be elusive even when we know they exist. Great video. We can't be sure if it's a separate species, subspecies, or ecotype, but the eminent Robert Pitman thinks we are on the way to describing a second species in the genus Orca (there have been proposals for new species before, including O. glacialis and O. nanus, but they really haven't caught on). Orcinus orca has been thought for centuries to be a single species, but in this century it's become clear there are deep, if subtle, fault lines in the genus Orca, and the scientific discussion is just beginning.
The Type D made me wonder about the enigma called Wilson's whale, but the identification is far from certain.
Orca (NOAA photo: I think Type C)
The Type D made me wonder about the enigma called Wilson's whale, but the identification is far from certain.
Orca (NOAA photo: I think Type C)
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