Iberian Orca
(Left to right) IB2 Azahar, IB18* , IB40 Gadir and matriarch IB9 Tanit in Las Bajas . ©PaulaMG
A little about them.
The population counts with less than 50 individuals, which visit the south of the Iberian Peninsula between late spring and early autumn and presumably travels north during the winter, following the migration of Bluefin Tuna, its main prey. .
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It is considered a critically endangered species due to its small population size and the many problems they face;
Noise pollution (Marine traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar), possible attacks by tuna fishermen, pollution by plastics, nets and toxic waste...
The ecotype
~50 individuals
The orca is a gregarious species, organized in matrilines or matriarchal groups where an old female, either mother or grandmother
leads the group.
The Iberian orca is organized in this way, organizing groups
from 5 to just over 10 individuals.
They got the average size of the species.
In addition, in general, it presents a series of characteristics:
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-Dorsal fin not excessively tall in males, quite low in females.
-Slanted downwards or diamond-shaped eyepatch.
-Prominent melon.
-Slim saddle patch.
-Presence of dorsal cape (typical of populations that normally inhabit the southern hemisphere).
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They show a mix of the tropical orca's and the orca from the North Sea's phenotypes
