Title
Confirmed sightings of the killer whale, Orcinus orca, in Iranian waters (Mammalia: Cetacea)
Author(s)
Mohsenian, Nazanin;Moshiri, Hamed;Tollab, Amin;Bargahi, Hamid Reza;Braulik, Gill T.;Gemmell, Georgina L.;Collins, Tim
Published
2019
Publisher
Zoology in the Middle East
Abstract
Killer whales have previously been recorded in small numbers throughout the Northern Indian Ocean and the adjacent seas. However, records for the Middle East remain largely anecdotal, scarce and sporadic. Here we report on three sightings of killer whale from Iranian waters based on videos and photos taken by fishermen using mobile phones in 2017 and 2018. These represent the first confirmed sightings of the species in Iranian waters. Images were processed to yield two identifiable individuals based on nicks and other marks on the dorsal fins. A positive match was made between a female/subadult male animal sighted in 2017 and again in 2018. Killer whales were also observed chasing sardines. Although data are few, the sightings suggest that more work on killer whales, as well as other species, is greatly merited in Iranian and Persian Gulf waters

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PUB24581