ABOUT THE ID PROJECT
The NORWEGIAN ORCA ID CATALOGUE, run by Norwegian Orca Survey, presents a catalogue of individual killer whales identified in Norwegian waters from 2007 to date. The project aims at pursuing the longitudinal ID-study initiated by colleagues in Norway in 1983. Identifying orcas (also called killer whales) at the individual level and keeping a track on which whales were seen, where and when, provides crucial data to better understand the biology and monitor this population.
The online ID-Catalogue was established to bound science and the general public, and to promote citizen-sience. Involving more contributing people from different areas along the Norwegian coast enables an increased survey effort over a wider range. The more available photographs, the more identifications for a better resolution of the study.
Through individual identification of killer whales encountered throughout the year in Norwegian waters, we aim at monitoring this population over the years to come for their conservation.
Artwork by Frédérique Lucas
Why this website?
This page is dedicated to teach about photo-identification as a method and to give insights into outcomes of the study to the general public which has largely contributed to the catalogue.
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ID-Catalogue
You can browse the catalogue of IDs and get to know individual killer whales that range in Norwegian coastal waters. A pdf version of the catalogue is also available for download.
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Become a citizen scientist!
Anyone fortunate enough to spend time with the whales can get high resolution photographs suitable for identification of individual killer whales. Please, share with us!
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1,145
IDENTIFIED ORCAS
1,378
SIGHTINGS
121
CITIZEN-SCIENTISTS
241,000
PHOTOGRAPHS
Norwegian Orca ID
Contact US
You are an individual or a tourism company and you want to join our network and ID-photograph killer whales?
Please, get in touch with us!