Nature · Adult male · upper published length reference
How long is a orca?
NOAA gives killer whales an upper length of 32 feet, about 9.75 meters. This adult male illustration compares the whole body horizontally, including the tail.
≈ 9.7536 m
Sourced measurement- Measurement
- NOAA-described upper length · nominal 32 feet
- Subject or version
- Adult male · upper published length reference
- Using this value
- A starting value for the illustration, not a universal or confirmed height.
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A little more perspective
NOAA’s species account gives an upper length of 32 feet. The exact conversion is 9.7536 meters, but the original description is rounded and is not a measurement of a particular whale. The selected adult male appearance should not imply that every population or sex reaches the same size.
The long dorsal fin rises above the body while the tail flukes lie in a horizontal plane. A strict side view therefore shows the flukes almost edge-on. Neither the dorsal fin’s height nor the fluke spread is the selected comparison dimension.
Quick facts
NOAA gives killer whales an upper length of 32 feet, about 9.75 meters. This adult male illustration compares the whole body horizontally, including the tail.
For a presentation or a research note, include the subject, the measurement definition, and the assumed measurement. A picture alone cannot explain those choices. The comparison guide explains how to export an image and its source notes together.
Sources and measurement notes
The 32-foot reference is body length, independent of dorsal-fin height.
Source review recorded . Maintained by Ishan Karunaratne. Suggest a correction with a source and the exact measurement being compared.