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Story: Orcas

Misshapen dorsal fin

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Misshapen dorsal fin

About a quarter of the orcas seen around New Zealand’s coast have bent or misshapen dorsal fins. This is a much higher incidence than in other parts of the world, but the reason for this is not clear.

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Orca Research Trust, Ingrid Visser

by Ingrid Visser

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How to cite this page

Gerard Hutching, Orcas – Orcas in New Zealand, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/4008/misshapen-dorsal-fin (accessed 5 June 2026).

Story by Gerard Hutching, published 2 March 2009.