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Two orcas swimming in the ocean, visible dorsal fins, with seagulls nearby.
A pod of dolphins swimming in the ocean with dorsal fins visible above water.
Two pilot whales swimming close together in the ocean.
Two dolphins swimming close together in the ocean.
A dolphin surfacing in the ocean, splashing water around it.

False Killer Whale

General Information
Life Span
63 years
Occurrence in Faro
Migratory - Spring
Pod Composition
50-100, sometimes up to 300
Max Speed
29 km/h
Max Size
6m
Sightings
Rare
Diet
Large fish (tuna, billfish,...) & cephalopds
Dive
500m
Two dolphins swimming close together in the ocean.
Orca breaching in ocean with seagulls above and distant land in background.
A pod of dolphins swimming in the ocean with dorsal fins visible above water.
A pod of dolphins swimming in the ocean under a clear blue sky.

FALSE KILLER WHALE

Pseudorca crassidens

False killer whales are large, long-bodied delphinids, almost entirely black or dark grey, with a rounded, conical head, no beak. Adults reach 6 m in length, with males slightly larger than females. Scars from interactions are uncommon and often fade with time. This species is highly social, usually forming groups of about 100 individuals, though larger aggregations occur. They are pelagic but may approach coastal areas, feeding on a wide variety of fish. False killer whales are active, acrobatic, and sometimes engage in bow-riding. Globally, they inhabit tropical and warm-temperate oceans, but are naturally uncommon. In Portuguese waters, they have been observed in spring, feeding on bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), an unusually regular presence for the region, though overall information about this species here remains limited.

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