A pod of orcas swim just off the coast of East Orkney this week Credit: Graham Campbell The average Briton’s closest encounter with an orca might once have been through the film Free Willy. But the majestic killer whale is increasingly being spotted in the UK, with a major citizen science project identifying three new “pods” that are present near the north coast of Scotland year-round. The orcas are thought to be living off the area’s healthy seal population, with a Scottish government study launched to examine their diets and movement patterns. PhD student Julia Sutherland, of the University of St Andrews, began her work last September and will spend four years examining the orcas’ habits.