Tag: killer whale

Surreal footage shows rare orca encounter off Cape Cod

Commercial fishermen off Cape Cod were accompanied by a solitary orca Sunday afternoon in what was described as an extraordinary encounter.

Commercial fishermen off Cape Cod were accompanied by a solitary orca Sunday afternoon in what was described as an extraordinary encounter.

The footage posted below, which begins with some salty language, shows the large male orca, or killer whale, surfacing behind the Finlander II as the fishermen dragged for scallops.

The footage was captured in overcast weather by a crewman.

Orcas, while they inhabit all of the world’s oceans, are rarely seen off Cape Cod.

Capt. Asher Molyneaux told Boston.com that he believes the killer whale is “Old Thom,” who generally travels alone and is spotted infrequently.

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The 30-foot mammal was documented off Cape Cod in 2016, according to Boston.com. Sightings of Old Thom also have occurred in the Bay of Fundy off Nova Scotia.

Molyneaux said it’s not unusual for sharks and large whales to appear alongside the boat, but added that Sunday’s sighting was extra special.

“They’ll all come around the boat, that’s not uncommon at all,” he said. “But I’ve never seen a killer whale, that’s for sure.”

Orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family and can measure 30-plus feet and weigh 10-plus tons. They are top predators and prey sources vary depending on the region and the orcas’ ecotype.

Tense moments for family as orca pushes and spins boat

A close orca encounter Tuesday in Puget Sound, Wash., included several anxious moments for a family whose boat was shoved and spun by the mammal.

A close orca encounter Tuesday in Puget Sound, Wash., included several anxious moments for a family whose boat was shoved and spun by the mammal.

“Why is it doing this?” Deb Syna, one of the boaters, asks in the accompanying footage.

The footage, captured by Syna and her 16-year-old daughter, Nina, begins with the male transient orca alongside their 17-foot boat. Syna’s husband, Dirk Morgan, also was aboard.

The boat was idle during the orca’s visit.

After Syna’s “Hi, how are you?” greeting the mammal begins to gently nudge and shove the vessel. “It’s pushing our boat!” Syna exclaims, and later adds, “Why is he spinning us?”

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(The second clip shows the orca swiftly pushing the boat.)

The family remained calm throughout the encounter, and at no time did the orca appear aggressive. But Syna was concerned enough to suggest to the killer whale, “Keep going. Go on,” and advise Nina to grab a safety railing.

Syna told the Orca Network, which shared both videos: “He played with the boat for about 10 minutes, going under and rocking, then pushing and then spinning us before he swam off.”

She explained to Go Skagit: “We went around a couple of times.”

Morgan, smartly, did not start the engine because that could have injured the mammal.

So why did the orca, a 17-year-old male cataloged as T65A2, behave in this manner?

The Orca Network’s Facebook posts inspired dozens of theories, while the Washington-based nonprofit offered what it considered the most plausible explanations:

“Some of the many possibilities for his behavior: trying to flush out prey, curiosity, aggression, play, enrichment, communication, and/or a behavior/communication in orca language that we humans don’t know or may never truly understand.”

Ralph Downs, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officer, told Go Skagit: “It’s a rare thing, but every now and then they decide to get a little frisky. Sometimes the whales just decide to check us out and use us as toys.”

Watch: Orca leaps 15 feet during dramatic dolphin hunt

On Monday we shared video footage showing an orca’s extraordinary leap while attacking a dolphin Sunday in Mexico’s Sea Of Cortez. Late Monday a sharper clip surfaced showing the same incident, but from a different angle.

On Monday we shared video footage showing an orca’s extraordinary leap while attacking a dolphin Sunday in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. Late Monday a sharper clip surfaced, showing the same incident from a different angle.

The footage, captured by Afrelandra Glez. Cibrián, shows the orca slamming the dolphin during a vertical charge and vault of about 15 feet. (Best viewed with sound.)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPACJZ2g9Yg/

“Orcas should always be free to jump out of the water and follow their natural instincts!” the Instagram description reads. “They don’t deserve to be used as human entertainment and be kept in captivity.”

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The predation at Cabo Pulmo, a dive spot north of Cabo San Lucas, occurred after several boats had gathered to view an orca pod of about 10 animals. The footage below was captured via cellphone by Miguel Cuevas of Cabo Pulmo Divers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CO-we3PgF9P/

The orcas killed the dolphin during a scene that played out over several hours. Eastern Tropical Pacific orcas, or killer whales, often prey on marine mammals.

–Image courtesy of Miguel Cuevas