A sportfishing captain off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, has captured rare footage showing an orca swimming alongside his boat, beneath the surface, with a large fish in its mouth.
Capt. Jaime Gonzalez of the Pisces Sportfishing vessel Reel Cast captured the footage June 21, when his charter caught and released 12 striped marlin.
“It looks like the orca was showing off a jack crevalle – you can see it swimming with something in its mouth and the captain thought it was a jack because they had seen a big school nearby,” said Pisces spokeswoman Rebecca Ehrenberg.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soiI-nZD6G8]
At 20 seconds the orca lets go of the fish and jumps next to the boat. The footage was captured north of Cabo San Lucas in the Sea of Cortez, and Gonzalez said several pilot whales were spotted in the distance.
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A week earlier, orcas surfed and jumped in wakes generated by a fishing boat operated by Robert Ross, farther north off Loreto. Ross, who provided the accompanying images, told For The Win Outdoors that up to six orcas frolicked in the turbulence.
Orca encounters are somewhat rare in the Sea of Cortez, but sightings sometimes involve the sleek mammals wake-riding behind vessels. Loreto, about 300 miles north of Cabo San Lucas, seems to be a popular hangout.
“I see them 10 to 15 times a year and I always make them play behind the boat,” Ross said. “They love to surf in the waves I make while running at about 14 knots.”
Ross added: “They will only follow you and play with the boat if you go in the direction they’re initially going. If you go the wrong way they will not follow you.”
Eastern Tropical Pacific orcas, or killer whales, have been spotted off Central America and as far north as Southern California.