What's the difference between Southern Resident and Bigg's killer whales?

Killer whales have often been considered one species, but a new report is outlining the distinct differences between Resident and Bigg's species.While killer whale experts and the federal government have distinguished the species for decades, scientists in the new report have provided expansive data on what the differences between the species are. The report is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .

Killer whales, also known colloquially as orcas, are found in oceans around the world but those in the North Pacific Ocean are most well-studied, according to NOAA. Bain said killer whale experts have long known about the differences. In the 1970s, Canadian scientist Michael Bigg found that the two animals did not mix when they were in the same waters, which is “often a sign of different species,” the report states.Aerial images compare the sizes of adult male Bigg’s and Resident killer whales, both taken in the Salish Sea off southern Vancouver Island.

The two species have “kind of the same paint job,” Bain said, noting the whales’ markings near their eyes, fin shape and saddle patterns. But, “we realized that if you look at them carefully, they’re actually different and these differences are reliable within populations.”

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