Wild Orcas: A Deep Dive into the World of Killer Whales

by Hanne Strager, Catherine DeNardo

Of the world’s iconic predatory species, orcas are among the most fearsome. Their awesome physical power combined with their cooperative hunting skills and ability to problem-solve make them uniquely efficient killers. Yet orcas also celebrate births, grieve losses, and maintain lifelong family bonds. This stunningly illustrated book draws on five decades of field research and cutting-edge science to provide an incomparable look at the biology, natural history, culture, and conservation of these awe-inspiring marine animals. It explores the behaviors and characteristics of the world’s diverse orca populations—from Antarctica, Iceland, and South America to Norway, Spain, South Africa, the Pacific Northwest of Canada, and the United States —and reveals the startling discoveries that scientists have made in recent years. Wild Orcas takes you on an epic ocean excursion to encounter these magnificent creatures as you have never seen them before.

Features a wealth of breathtaking color photos
Covers everything from social structure and family dynamics to evolution, physiology, interactions with humans, and the fascinating ways orcas learn from each other
Explores orcas’ underwater lives, such as how they “see” with sound
Discusses the innovative and state-of-the-art ways researchers study orcas
Sheds light on orca culture, from vocal dialects and hunting strategies to behaviors such as greeting ceremonies, beach rubbing, and porpoise tossing

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 2026

About the author

I am a biologist and science writer - and a passionate reader. After graduating from the Aarhus University, Denmark, I studied at the University of California, Santa Cruz, as a Fulbright Scholar.

Many years ago I cofounded a whale center in northern Norway and I remain involved in cetacean research and conservation. I have served as the director of exhibitions at the Natural History Museum of Denmark and has twenty years’ experience making science and natural history accessible to the general public.

I have been awarded the Copenhagen University Natural Sciences Faculty’s prize for science communication.

Reviews

[saddest_orenji]

Bueno, Hanne Strager y Catherine son dos narradoras increíbles que, de alguna manera, han conseguido condensar una cantidad inabarcable de información de una forma bellísima, sin dejarse fuera nada de lo importante. Está lleno de escenas, acontecimientos, encuentros y hallazgos absolutamente preciosos y fascinantes.

Este libro se centra en las poblaciones de orcas en libertad: en su cultura, sus familias y su historia. A todas estas historias las acompaña una selección de fotografías simplemente perfecta. Me encantó The Killer Whale Journals, pero no sabía que este iba a gustarme tanto o incluso más.

Me quedo con este fragmento, que me ha llenado los ojos de lágrimas:

"So, what does it mean when killer whales make eye contact with us, offer us "gifts," and urge us to accept them or at least encourage some kind of a response? It means we need to reconsider how we share the oceans with the animal we call killer whale, to reconsider what we know about them, how we characterize them-and our relationship to them. When we're talking about killer whale conservation, these interactions mean we are not just sharing the ocean with species, subspecies, populations, ecotypes, and predators, we are sharing the ocean with conscious beings who might be curious about building a rapport with us."

[✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰Janeane ✰]

This book is absolutely stunning.

From the front cover to the back, Wild Orcas is a fascinating story of the world of orcas.

Lots of interesting facts, beautiful photos of the good and the bad of the whale world.

I have been lucky enough to see orcas off Seattle, and seeing photos of whales in the areas that I saw them, well, I wonder if they were the same whales?

Books about science and nature can sometimes come across as a bit dry and tedious, but not so with Wild Orcas. I flicked through different chapters and learned things that I didn't know I needed to know!

Definitely one to read if you are interested in orcas or whales in general.