Orca rising

Orcas (Orcinus orca) are toothed whales that hunt large single prey, such as fish, squid, penguins and seals.  Marine chemist Mak Saito photographed this Orca on McMurdo Sound sea ice during a January 2009 expedition to study the proteomics of algae in Antarctica waters. Antarctica’s coastal seas are especially important because they shelter an abundant ecosystem, supporting large predators such as penguins, seals and whales. (Photo by Mak Saito, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)