Orca vs Great White Shark: What’s the Difference?
The main difference between an orca and a great white shark is that the orca is a warm-blooded, air-breathing mammal, the largest member of the dolphin family, while the great white is a cartilaginous fish that breathes through gills. Orcas are much larger and hunt in coordinated family pods. Great whites usually hunt alone, and they are known to flee areas where orcas appear.
| Orca | Great White Shark | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Orcinus orca | Carcharodon carcharias |
| Lifespan | 30–50 years (females up to 80–90) wild averages: males about 30 years, females about 50; females can reach 80–90 | an estimated 40–70 years estimated from radiocarbon-dated vertebrae; the oldest shark aged was about 73 |
| Weight | 3,000–6,000 kg (6,600–13,200 lb) | 520–1,100 kg (1,150–2,400 lb) |
| Size | 5–8 m (16–26 ft) (length) | 3.4–4.9 m (11–16 ft) (length) |
| Top speed | up to 56 km/h (35 mph) | about 40 km/h (25 mph) |
| Gestation / incubation | 15–18 months | an estimated 11–12 months |
| Diet | Carnivore | Carnivore |
| Family | Delphinidae | Lamnidae |
| Habitat | Coastal waters, Open ocean, Polar seas, Fjords and straits | Coastal seas, Continental shelf, Open ocean, Seal colonies |
| IUCN status | Data Deficient | Vulnerable |
Figures shown are for the orca (Orcinus orca) and the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias).
Key differences
Mammal versus fish
Orcas must surface to breathe through a blowhole, nurse their calves with milk, and have a skeleton of bone. Great white sharks extract oxygen from water passing over five gill slits on each side and have a skeleton of cartilage. Great whites do keep parts of their body warmer than the surrounding water, which is unusual among fish.
Tail and fins
A quick way to separate any whale or dolphin from any shark is the tail. An orca's tail flukes are horizontal and beat up and down. A shark's tail fin is vertical and sweeps side to side. An adult male orca's dorsal fin is also extremely tall and straight, far taller than the triangular fin of a shark.
Size
Orcas are substantially longer and several times heavier than great white sharks. A large adult male orca is one of the biggest predators in the sea, exceeded among toothed hunters only by the sperm whale. In sharks, the females are the larger sex, but even the biggest female great white is far lighter than an adult orca.
Hunting style
Orcas live in stable family pods led by older females and hunt cooperatively, using tactics passed down through generations, such as washing seals off ice floes with waves. Different populations specialize in fish, seals, or even whales. Great whites are mostly solitary ambush hunters that strike seals and sea lions from below at high speed.
Teeth
A great white has rows of triangular, serrated teeth that slice out chunks of flesh and are replaced continuously throughout its life. An orca has a single set of large, conical, interlocking teeth designed for gripping and tearing, not cutting. Like other toothed whales, orcas do not chew and do not replace lost teeth.
Risk to humans
Great white sharks are responsible for more recorded unprovoked bites on people than any other shark, although such attacks are rare and many are thought to be investigative. There is no confirmed case of a wild orca killing a human. The few fatal incidents involving orcas have all occurred with captive animals.
How to tell them apart
- Bold black-and-white coloring with a white eye patch means orca; gray above and white below means great white.
- Watch the tail: up-and-down strokes mean orca, while side-to-side strokes mean shark.
- A visible blow or spout at the surface means a mammal, so it is an orca.
- Several tall dorsal fins traveling together indicate an orca pod. Great whites are usually seen alone.
What they have in common
Orcas and great white sharks are both apex predators found in oceans around the world, with a preference for cool, productive coastal waters. Both eat seals, sea lions and large fish, both have dark backs and white undersides for camouflage, and both travel vast distances. Both are also slow to mature and produce few young, which makes their populations vulnerable.
Frequently asked questions
Who would win, an orca or a great white shark?
The orca. This is one matchup with real evidence. Orcas have been documented killing great white sharks off California in 1997 and repeatedly off South Africa since 2017, often eating only the nutrient-rich liver. Orcas are bigger, smarter and hunt in groups, and sharks have no effective defense.
Do great white sharks really flee from orcas?
Yes. Tagging studies at California's Farallon Islands showed great whites abandoning their seal-hunting grounds within hours of orcas arriving and staying away for the rest of the season. Similar disappearances followed orca attacks at Gansbaai and Mossel Bay in South Africa.
How do orcas kill great white sharks?
Orcas ram or grab the shark and have been seen turning it upside down, which can put a shark into a trance-like state called tonic immobility. They then tear open the body to reach the large, oily liver. Carcasses washed ashore in South Africa were missing their livers with surgical neatness.
Is an orca a whale or a dolphin?
Both, technically. The orca, or killer whale, is the largest species in the oceanic dolphin family, Delphinidae. Since all dolphins are toothed whales, it is also correct to call it a whale. It is not related to sharks, which are fish.