Eastern Tropical Pacific Orca
A returning visitor: these orcas also came to San Diego in winter 2023 to 2024 and January 2026.
Sightings
2026 season, every one sourced
Southern California
- Sept 29, 2026Mission Point Park, San DiegoA juvenile, on video validated by San Diego Whale Watch
Photos
From California this season
No photos yet. If you photographed this animal in California this season, post it to the Coastal Bulletin.
Home Range
Where it normally lives
Centered on the warm waters off Central America; Ventura County is considered the northern edge.
Range source: FOX 5 San Diego, with the California Killer Whale Project · Hoodline, Jan 28, 2026; 10News
Eastern tropical Pacific killer whales are a distinct type of killer whale. Reporting by FOX 5 San Diego, drawing on local whale researchers, describes their home range as centered on the warm waters off Central America, with Ventura County considered the northern edge.
Identification
Killer whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. They are black on top and white underneath, with a white patch near each eye and a gray or white saddle behind the dorsal fin. They can reach 32 feet and 11 tons.
Natural History
Like all killer whales, these travel in pods. The group that visited southern California in December 2023 was 8 adults and 2 juveniles. They appear to specialize in hunting the large schools of common dolphins.
In California
These orcas are rare visitors to southern California. A pod stayed off the coast for more than 2 weeks in December 2023, and they returned to San Diego in January 2026. On September 29, 2026, a juvenile was filmed off Mission Point Park in San Diego, and San Diego Whale Watch confirmed the video.
Taxonomy
Rarity
Rarity in the compendium is how often the animal has been reported on the California coast this season, not how rare it is where it normally lives. It moves as new sightings come in.