Type A, the largest form, prefers open-water habitats and has been observed feeding primarily on elephant seals and minke whales around the peninsula. While these whales mainly differ in diet and hunting behavior, they also have social differences that have caused behavioral isolation. Type C killer whales prefer both pack ice and the inshore water of eastern Antarctic. They inhabit the open waters around the Southern Ocean, and follow their minke whale prey on their migration routes around Antarctic waters. Types of Whales - Whale Species in Antarctica Whales are not only the largest animals alive today, they are the largest animals to have ever lived. The Antarctic contains four distinct ecotypes of killer whale. Scientists discover new type of killer whale off Chile 14 years after South American fishermen first spoke about sub-antarctic orcas that are smaller than other species Highly intelligent, these toothed whales occupy every sea on earth with the majority of the population in the Antarctic. Illustration by Albino.orca. We found three fixed differences that separated type A from B and C, and a single fixed difference that separated type C from A and B. The three to five types of killer whales may be distinct enough to be considered different races, subspecies, or possibly even species. To evaluate this hypothesis, we compared complete sequences of the mitochondrial control region from 81 Antarctic killer whale samples, including 9 type A, 18 type B, 47 type C and 7 type-undetermined individuals. They are classified as Type A, Type B, Type C, and Type D (pictured right). Those rows of sharp teeth allow Orcas to be the apex predator in the Antarctic, thus earning the name “killer” whales. A baleen whale. One of the worlds most formidable predators, all the more so as they hunt in packs, orcas are toothed whales related to dolphins. Usually black and white, in Antarctic waters their skins are covered with a film of plankton called diatoms, which gives them a brownish and yellowish hue. They catch single prey, ranging from fish, squid, penguins, seals, dolphins, porpoises, and even whales, including the largest whale of all, the blue whale. The IUCN reported in 2008, "The taxonomy of this genus is clearly in need of review, and it is likely that O. orca will be split into a number of different species or at least subspecies over the next few years. The three to five types of killer whales may be distinct enough to be considered different races, subspecies, or possibly even species. Type B (large) Also called Pack Ice orcas, they forage for seals in the loose pack ice around the Antarctic continent. Type A, the largest form, prefers open-water habitats and has been observed feeding primarily on elephant seals and minke whales around the peninsula. Hunting in groups known as “pods,” their diet ranges from seals, penguins, fish, squid, to sharks and whales. Type B killer whales, with a white eye patch twice the size of the Type A species, are believed to prey primarily on seals. Antarctic Type A killer whales tend to stay away from the ice and feed mostly on minke whales. Type B have recently been split into two groups: Pack Ice Killer Whales feed on seals around the outer pack ice, and smaller Gerlache Killer Whales (named after the Gerlache Strait on the Antarctic Peninsula in which they are often found) feed mainly on penguins. The Antarctic contains four distinct ecotypes of killer whale. The familiar killer whale (Orcinus orca) is a cosmopolitan species, found in all oceans of the world.Despite being the most widespread mammal in the world, only one species is currently recognized. The Type-D killer whale, a type of orca generally thought to have its distinct look because of a rare genetic mutation, may actually be an entirely separate species of the cetacean, according to a recent study published in the journal Polar Biology.