Orcas have been seen in French Polynesia, but the guide leaves their journeys into and out of these waters unresolved.
- Local names
- 'Oti'a
- Habitat
- Open ocean
- Other names
- Legacy source name:
About this species
The guide describes orcas about five to nine metres long and weighing four to ten tonnes. Sightings are rare in French Polynesia, with small observed groups of roughly two to six animals. Several records confirm regional presence, but the source does not establish where those animals came from or where they went.
Orcas are predators whose diet varies markedly between populations. Fish are important prey for some groups; others take marine mammals or different prey. The diet of the small groups seen in French Polynesia is not established by the local observations described here.
The guide associates these regional sightings with deep, open water. Breeding may occur throughout the year, and gestation lasts roughly 15–18 months.