Experts speculated that the unusual whales were simply a product of a genetic aberration that existed in only those individuals.

In January, an international team of researchers tracked down these potential killer whale imposters and collected samples for genetic testing that will reveal whether or not the animals are a newfound, distinct species of killer whale. Mysterious new orca species likely identified. At 20 to 25 feet long (6 to 7.5 meters), they are slightly smaller than most killer whales. Thank you for signing up to Live Science. Type D whales could be a new species of killer whale. Pitman said the whales are so big and their skin so tough that it didn't hurt them, saying the arrow "is like a soda straw bouncing off a truck tire.".
After years of gathering information about a potentially undescribed species of killer whale, Pitman ventured out to sea to find the mysterious creature. Michael McGowen, marine mammal curator at the Smithsonian, said calling it a new species without genetic data may be premature. Tahlequah, an orca … He was part of the team that spotted the orcas off Cape Horn at the tip of South America.

There's a new member of the Southern Resident killer whale family, a species that's fighting extinction with less than 100 known creatures in existence. New York, "We are very excited about the genetic analysis to come," Bob Pitman, a researcher from NOAA Fisheries' Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California, said in a statement. © While their markings resembled known killer whales, these animals were smaller, with a blunt snout and bulbous head. Note the size of the white eye patch, less rounded head and dorsal fin shape.

Then, in 2005, a French scientist showed Pitman photos of some odd-looking killer whales that were stealing fish from fishers in the Crozet Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Pitman said they are so different they probably can't breed with other killer whales and are likely a new species. The photos of the Type D whales were snapped at latitudes that often experience the worst boating conditions on the planet — areas known as the Roaring 40s and Furious 50s because of the treacherous winds in the region. "I guess I know how Ahab felt, but for a good reason," Pitman said. For the first time, scientists have filmed and studied the elusive “type D” killer whales in the wild. They have been known to attack baleen whale calves, and even adult whales. Until now, the existence of this potentially newfound species was based only on stories from fishers and a handful of photographs. Stay up to date on the coronavirus outbreak by signing up to our newsletter today. [In Images: Meet the Top 10 Newfound Species]. He acknowledged that he did sound like the revenge-seeking captain in the classic novel "Moby-Dick.". Pitman said they are so different they probably can't breed with other killer whales and are likely a new species. They don't look like other killer whales, and they don't eat like them, either, scientists say of the species discovered near South America. I finally got to see them," Pitman said.

Equipment problems prevented the scientists from recording enough of the whale songs, but they used a crossbow to get a tissue sample.

In Images: Meet the Top 10 Newfound Species, Image Gallery: Russia's Beautiful Killer Whales, These could be the funniest animal pictures ever, Facial reconstruction reveals Egyptian 'mummy portrait' was accurate except for one detail, An aurora that lit up the sky over the Titanic might explain why it sank, Wizard battles and demon circles revealed in newly translated Christian texts, Climate fires and hurricanes collide in this shocking NASA satellite image, Scientists find 'secret molecule' that allows bacteria to exhale electricity. Pitman got interested in this mysterious killer whale when he was shown a photograph in 2005. Scientists have spotted what may be a new species of killer whale off the southern tip of Chile. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration felt confident enough to trumpet the discovery of the long rumored killer whale on Thursday. So, when people started spotting killer whales with a noticeably different physique thinner, with much smaller white eye patches and narrower, sharp dorsal fins scientists paid attention.

They likely mostly eat fish, not marine mammals like seals, as other killer whales do, Pitman said.
The researchers also collected three biopsies, or tiny bits of skin, from the whales, which will undergo genetic testing to reveal how closely related the Type D whales are to typical killer whales. WASHINGTON — For decades, there were tales from fishermen and tourists, even lots of photos, of a mysterious killer whale that just didn't look like all the others, but scientists had never seen one.

Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as seals and other species of dolphin. Scientists are waiting for DNA tests from a tissue sample but think it may be a distinct species. The whale's signature large white eye patch is tiny on these new guys, barely noticeable. This suggested that the unique whales were more widespread than previously thought. Killer whales have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. By 2010, Pitman and his team had collected six images of the wanna-be killer whales, which they dubbed the "Type D" killer whale. Scientists have heard about these distinctive whales ever since a mass stranding in New Zealand in 1955. If the Type D whales liked to hang out in those spots, then it was no wonder humans hadn't laid eyes on the whales until recently. Pitman said he'll never forget Jan. 21 when he finally saw his first and then a bunch of the type D orcas. A cosmopolitan species, they can be foun… Scientists initially thought it could be one family of killer whales that had a specific mutation, but the January discovery and all the photos in between point to a different type, Pitman said. After weeks of waiting, about 25 of the whales came up to the scientist's boat, looking like they expected to be fed. The whales looked just like the ones that had stranded in New Zealand, more than 5,500 miles (9,000 kilometers) away.