Abstract:
The diet of killer whales Orcinus orca was investigated from 48 predation events observed during 823
sightings at sub-Antarctic Marion Island between 2006 and 2009. From these events, there were 10
cases where prey could be identified. Killer whales fed on fur seals Arctocephalus tropicalis, elephant
seals Mirounga leonina and penguins. Constant effort (dedicated) observations (259 hours, 2008–2009)
showed that the peak in killer whale abundance was between September and December with a secondary
peak between April and May, which coincided with peaks in the abundance of seals and penguins.
