Is the orca whale endangered?
Orcas are listed as ‘data deficient’ on the IUCN red list, the official unit for designating conservation status of animals. What does that mean, well, it means exactly that, they are just not sure. Globally probably not but there are some problems with assessing their status as there is still discussion as to whether there is just one species or several. If there are several, that considerably changes the situation as there would be smaller populations of different species, rather than lots of one. This is the direct quote from the IUCN: “This taxonomic unit is treated as one species even though there is evidence that it may be a complex of two or more species. If it is so designated, the category of this taxon may change. If taxonomic designations change, then it is suspected that some new species may warrant listing under higher categories of risk. Because additional data should resolve this taxonomic uncertainty, the current species is listed as DD. The combination of potential dec
