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Tag: killer whales

  • Humpback whales spotted chasing ocean’s top predator off the California coast

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    A pod of orcas were chased by a group of humpback whales off the coast of California, a whale watching company said.

    A pod of orcas were chased by a group of humpback whales off the coast of California, a whale watching company said.

    Getty Images/iStockphoto

    A group of orcas was chased by humpback whales off the coast of California, a whale watching company said.

    On Oct. 11, whale watchers got the chance to see the killer whale pod known as CA51A, along with killer whale Andi and her baby Astrid as they hunted down sea lions for their next meal, according to a Facebook post by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch.

    Eventually, Andi and Astrid became hard to find, so the watchers went looking for the rest of their family, the company said.

    A group of orcas was seen hunting off the coast of California, a whale watching company said.
    A group of orcas was seen hunting off the coast of California, a whale watching company said. Daniel Bianchetta Monterey Bay Whale Watch

    The rest of the pod was seen “zig zagging” around the area in search of prey, the company said.

    That’s when watchers saw a group of “trumpet blowing” and “fluke swishing” humpback whales, including two named Fallon and Inverse, chase after them, the company said.

    Although the sea lion had already been hunted, and the pod was trying to share the prey, the humpbacks “still pursued them for quite a while before giving up and swimming off,” the post said.

    That wasn’t the only “beautiful encounter” during the excursion, the company said.

    Whale watchers were able to see mamas socialize with their babies as they held the sea lion’s carcass so the babies could rip off a snack or two, the company said.

    Orcas were seen feeding on a sea lion off the coast of California, a whale watching company said.
    Orcas were seen feeding on a sea lion off the coast of California, a whale watching company said. Daniel Bianchetta Monterey Bay Whale Watch

    Facebook users went to the comments to share their thoughts on the day that turned out to be a “treat,” with one person saying, “amazing pics!”

    Killer whales are known to be the ocean’s top predator, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    The highly social animal usually travels in pods of a few individuals to 20 or more, NOAA said.

    Monterey is about a 120-mile drive southeast from San Francisco.

    Paloma Chavez

    McClatchy DC

    Paloma Chavez is a reporter covering real-time news on the West Coast. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California.

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    Paloma Chavez

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  • Humpback whales rush to stop hungry orcas from hunting in CA. Celebration followed

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    A group of humpbacks tried to stop orcas from hunting a sea lion off the coast of California, boaters said.

    A group of humpbacks tried to stop orcas from hunting a sea lion off the coast of California, boaters said.


    Morgan Quimby

    Monterey Bay Whale Watch

    Humpback whales were spotted trying to stop orcas from hunting off the coast of California in a “rare” interaction, boaters said.

    The “once in a lifetime trip” took place on Oct. 5, when boaters came across the killer whale orca pod known as CA51A’s, according to a Facebook post by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch.

    When boaters arrived, the orcas were mid-hunt, attempting to snag a sea lion before a humpback whale pair decided to “charge into the area.”

    Eventually, the orcas were swarmed by at least four humpbacks trying to disrupt their hunt, boaters said.

    Although the hunt was a success, the humpback whales didn’t stop there as they even tried to prevent the orcas from feeding, boaters said.

    Then, the humpbacks “gave up,” leading to a “celebratory breaching” from the orcas, boaters said.

    Killer whales are known to be the ocean’s top predator, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    The highly social animal usually travels in pods of a few individuals to 20 or more, NOAA said.

    As for why the humpbacks felt the need to attempt to protect the sea lion, scientists have theorized that the whales may engage in “altruistic behavior” as a means to help another species, according to Phys’ website.

    Another theory behind the protection is that humpback whales are known to “drive off killer whales” as a means to protect their babies, and any signs of attacking may cause them to enter protector mode, the idea behind wanting to help any other animal in distress “could not be ruled out,” the website read.

    A killer whale was seen breaching off the coast of California, boaters said.
    A killer whale was seen breaching off the coast of California, boaters said. Morgan Quimby Monterey Bay Whale Watch

    Toward the end of the trip, boaters saw an orca named Andi breach multiple times by the boat along with her daughter, Astrid, also leaping out of the water, boaters said.

    Monterey is about a 120-mile drive southeast from San Francisco.

    Paloma Chavez

    McClatchy DC

    Paloma Chavez is a reporter covering real-time news on the West Coast. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California.

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    Paloma Chavez

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