Status of the False Killer Whale, Pseudorca crassidens, in Canada

The false killer whale, a toothed cetacean weighing more than 1360 kg, inhabits tropical and temperate waters but occasionally appears off the coast of western Canada. To date, ten occurrences of the whale in these waters have been noted, but no occurrences for the east coast have been recorded. The species is fairly common worldwide, although data on population levels are not always available. The whale is vulnerable to whaling operations; it is also taken incidentally in fisheries. Local population levels are affected by frequent and fatal strandings. Long-term population threats arise from environmental degradation and habitat loss.