marine mammals – Syndication Server

Researchers encounter dozens of rare, shark-eating orcas; video

Footage shows the mysterious killer whales patrolling a submarine canyon off Monterey, Ca. “There were fins everywhere we looked.”

Researchers out of Monterey, Ca., on Thursday enjoyed a rare encounter with mysterious killer whales known to travel in massive pods and prey on deepwater sharks.

“There were fins everywhere we looked on the horizon,” Capt. Evan Brodsky, of Monterey Bay Whale Watch, told ForTheWin Outdoors. “They were spread out for miles.” (Video posted below.)

It was the first known encounter involving a large pod of “offshore” killer whales, or orcas, in Monterey Bay since November 2021.

Boaters in the region are far more likely to encounter “transient” orcas, which prey on other marine mammals, including gray whales.

Offshore killer whales, as their ecotype association implies, typically range far from shore between Southern California and Alaska. Brodsky’s footage shows them in sub-groups over a submarine canyon as close as six miles from shore.

He was with Tomoko Shimotomai and Colleen Talty of the California Killer Whale Project, and photographer Daniel Bianchetta. They were traveling west aboard a 20-foot inflatable boat when they spotted dorsal fins sprouting from the surface.

“We just kept moving west from group to group for another 12 miles, so at my furthest point we were 18 miles out,” Brodsky said, adding the entire pod included more than 60 orcas.

Nancy Black, co-founder of the California Killer Whale Project, said offshore killer whale sightings, while rare, are more likely to occur during the winter. Pod sizes off California typically number 25 to 40 individuals, but they can be much larger.

Offshore killer whales prey largely on sharks, including deepwater sleeper sharks, which boast large and fatty livers. But the orcas also prey on fish, such as Pacific halibut and salmon.

Brodsky said his group did not witness feeding, but added: “There were a lot of birds around, and a very strong fishy, oily smell. Some of the other vessels in the area reported seeing fish scales in the water.”

He said that observing the offshore killer whales for the first time “was like winning the gold medal at the Olympics.”

How many endangered right whales can you spot in this image?

Experts in Georgia explain why North Atlantic right whales are so difficult to spot, and why boaters should exercise caution.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources on Monday asked social-media followers: “Where’s the whale?”

The quiz is part of an effort to explain why critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are difficult to spot and why boaters should exercise extreme caution with the mammals present for the winter calving season.

But there are actually three adult female right whales in the image shared by the Georgia DNR (and posted above and immediately below). Can you spot all three whales? (Answer at the bottom of this post.)

Can you spot the right whales in this image? Photo: Georgia Department of Natural Resources

The Georgia DNR explained the visibility issue in a news release and via its blog: “Although they can be as big as a school bus, North Atlantic right whales do not have a dorsal fin and their profile is usually low in the water.

“In the Southeast, which is where pregnant females migrate to from New England and Canadian waters each winter to give birth, they also spend much of their time at or just below the surface.

“This is especially true for mothers and calves, because calves are unable to dive for long and their moms keep them close during this vulnerable time for the young.”

Vessel strikes are a leading cause of death for North Atlantic right whales. And because there are only about 370 whales left, including a mere 70 breeding-age females, every life counts.

Interestingly, the waters off Georgia, the Carolinas, and northern Florida are the species’ only known calving grounds.

As for the quiz, the three whales are circled in the image posted below.

Hard-to-spot right whales are circled. Photo: Georgia Department of Natural Resources

The Georgia DNR explained that the image was captured by a research crew with a permit to be within 100 yards of the mammals.

The DNR stated: “The photo illustrates what a challenge it can be to spot these whales on the open water. But being vigilant and going slow can provide boaters time to react.

“Collisions have not only killed and injured right whales, they have caused extreme damage to vessels and put people at risk.”

The calving season runs from November through April. Boaters are urged to follow guidelines for Navigating in Right Whale Waters.

Watch: Massive sea creature crashes picnic on Mexican beach

Footage shows a startled family retreating as an enormous elephant seal hauls ashore to rest in Mulege, Baja California Sur.

–FTW Outdoors periodically reposts unique or compelling video clips that we’ve featured over the years. The accompanying footage shows a massive elephant seal – they can weigh 4,500 pounds – hauling ashore in Mulege , Mexico, in July 2022, disrupting a family beach outing.

Click here to view the story or simply enjoy the video, courtesy of Noticias CD Constitucion bcs:

https://www.facebook.com/noticiasconstitucion/videos/882243142733984

Orca bats seal 70 feet skyward in what remains a ‘punt’ for the ages

The astonishing scene is brought to mind by recent footage showing an orca “punting” a common murre 20 feet into the air.

Earlier this week we shared footage showing an orca “punting” a seabird nearly 20 feet into the air in California’s Monterey Bay.

While impressive, the scene was reminiscent of a more astonishing event documented nine years ago, involving an orca that used its flukes to fling a harbor seal at least 70 feet skyward.

The accompanying images were captured off Port Angeles, Wash., by Alisa Schulman-Janiger, a California-based killer whale researcher.

https://www.facebook.com/alisa.schulmanjaniger/posts/6547668058675012?ref=embed_post

“It’s still the most astounding thing I’ve seen,” Schulman-Janiger, co-founder of the California Killer Whale Project, told FTW Outdoors in 2023. “A momentous moment in my life.”

The event was also captured on video and the footage is posted below. The video description places the height of the seal at 80 feet.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=478672815636888

The male orca belongs to a family scientifically cataloged as the TO69s. The standout punter is TO69C, who was about 20 years old at the time.

The orca shown “punting” the common murre last Saturday is part of a family unit cataloged by the California Killer Whale Project as the CA51As, led by the matriarch, nicknamed Aurora.

Schulman-Janiger said those orcas were honing their skills for when it’s time to hunt seals or sea lions.

“They’re practicing for the pinnipeds when they do this,” she said. “They might smack them with their heads or flukes, but the big thing is to use their flukes to throw them into the air so they’ll be stunned when they come down.”

Massive whale emerges yards from shore, thrilling beachgoers

A large sperm whale joined swimmers near the shore Saturday at Port Beach, Australia, generating concern that the mammal might strand itself.

*UPDATE: It was reported Tuesday (Dec. 12) that the sperm whale has perished after it became stranded on a Perth sandbar.

A large sperm whale joined swimmers near the shore Saturday at Port Beach, Australia, generating concern that the mammal might strand.

The accompanying footage was captured by Ori Weiser, who announced via social media that the whale ultimately “swam away happy.”

Wishful thinking, most likely, because healthy sperm whales generally remain offshore in deep water.

Typical diving forays in search of prey extend 2,000 feet beneath the surface, but sperm whales are capable of diving to depths of more than 10,000 feet.

The whale might have been sick, injured, or disoriented. But as of Saturday night it had not stranded.

9 News Perth reported early Sunday that swimmers were asked to exit the water during the 50-foot whale’s appearance.

Weiser’s footage shows the whale just yards from shore and one clip shows a jetski rider following closely behind.

Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales on the planet and are found around the world.

According to NOAA Fisheries, the most significant threats to sperm whales are ships (vessel strikes), commercial fishing gear (entanglements), ocean noise (disorientation), oil spills and contaminants, and climate change.

Reward offered after video shows boater speeding over sea lions

A reward of up to $20,000 is being offered in the hope of identifying and prosecuting a boater who was caught on video speeding over sea lions earlier this month in the Columbia River.

A $20,000 reward is being offered as federal authorities seek to identify and prosecute a boater who was caught on video speeding over sea lions earlier this month in the Columbia River.

NOAA launched an investigation after the footage, captured April 3 by a Portland resident, began to circulate via social media. (The footage is posted below.)

It shows the boater plowing over groups of sea lions, in apparent violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as the animals rested on the surface near Hayden Island.

Oregon Live reported Friday that NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is offering the reward for information that leads to a “civic penalty or criminal conviction.”

The Marine Mammal Protection Act, passed in 1972, prohibits the hunting or harassment of marine mammals. Harassment is any act that significantly alters the mammals’ behavior.

The number of California sea lions – the same animals that inhabit the Columbia River – has increased steadily since the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Recent estimates place the West Coast population at about 280,000.

Fishermen often express frustration regarding sea lions, which possess a seemingly insatiable appetite for salmon and other fishes. But blatant acts of aggression toward sea lions rarely occur in open public settings.

According to Oregon Live, the vessel in question is an aluminum Hewescraft Pro-V Sea Runner with a dark blue stripe, measuring perhaps 20 feet.

Authorities are asking anyone who might recognize the boat or be able to identify the boater reach out to NOAA at 360-310-0259, or via its hotline at 800-853-1964.

Orcas line up perfectly for family portrait in ‘awesome moment’

A photographer has captured what might be considered the perfect orca family portrait in foggy weather in California’s Monterey Bay.

A photographer on Tuesday captured an extraordinary orca family portrait in foggy weather in California’s Monterey Bay.

“The awesome moment when all the orcas you encounter line up for a shot,” Eric Austin Yee wrote on Facebook.

The black-and-white image, captured during a Discovery Whale Watch expedition, shows the closely aligned dorsal fins of five transient orcas – a mom, her three kids, and another orca that travels with the family.

Yee, also a naturalist, said visibility was poor when he received a tip from colleagues about an orca sighting in the middle of the bay.

Yee told FTW Outdoors: “As we approached the area the pod of five orcas popped up near us. We were worried they would have been lost in the fog but they resurfaced near us multiple times and got active.”

Behaviors included breaching and spy-hopping, which is when a whale in a vertical position pokes its head out of the water for a look around.

“Even though visibility was poor, the water was glassy,” Yee continued. “I got a lucky moment when all five animals lined up and I snapped the shot.

Yee added: “I had a weird moment when going through my photos: ‘How would black-and-white animals look in black and white?’ Pretty good, I guess.”

Monterey Bay is a frequent hunting area for transient orcas, which prey on marine mammals. The family unit photographed by Yee is well known to scientists.

Alisa Schulman-Janiger, co-founder of the California Killer Whale Project, said the orcas, from nearest to farthest, are cataloged and nicknamed as follows: CA51A3 (Dipper), CA51A2 (Andi), CA51A4 (Eclipse), CA51A (the matriarch, Aurora), and CA50B (Jimmy).

Breaching whale’s ‘shock wave’ generates chaos for kayakers

On Sunday, KINY shared an image showing kayakers in Hoonah experiencing a “close encounter of the whale kind!”

Last week we shared footage showing five humpback whales breaching almost simultaneously near Hoonah, Alaska. It was a surreal and unexpected scene enjoyed by a family during a picnic.

On Sunday, KINY shared the accompanying image showing kayakers in Hoonah experiencing an extremely “close encounter of the whale kind!”

The Facebook description reads, in part: “According to Hoonah Fire Chief Paul Comolli, the shock wave from the whale’s breach rocked three kayaks and flipped one completely over!”

Comolli captured the image at Point Frederick.

The KINY post was widely shared and some were critical of the kayakers for approaching too closely and placing themselves and the whale in danger.

Humpback whales are known for their spectacular breaches and should always be given a wide berth.

Watch: Massive sea creature startles family on Mexican beach

A family enjoying a beach day in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur was frightened by a massive elephant seal that emerged on the shore and approached the group.

The accompanying footage, captured in the municipality of Mulege, shows the blubbery mammal approaching the family as a woman screams and a child tries to remain brave.

News CD Constitution BCS shared no other information, but it appears as though the elephant seal was merely looking for a suitable resting spot.

VIDEO: Dogs ‘have some things to say’ to orcas swimming past dock

Northern elephant seals are the largest “true” seals in the Northern Hemisphere and can weigh as much as 5,000 pounds. Their range includes the eastern and central North Pacific, from Alaska to Baja California.

Except during breeding season from December through March, they spend most of their time feeding at sea. Elephant seals can dive 2,500 feet in search of prey. They feed primarily on squid and fish, including sharks and rays.

Watch: Jet-ski rider speeds over whale, almost hits boat

A photographer has captured drone footage showing a seemingly out-of-control jet-ski rider speeding directly over a gray whale and nearly slamming into a whale-watching boat.

A photographer has captured drone footage showing a jet-ski rider speeding directly over a gray whale and nearly slamming into a crowded whale-watching boat.

The accompanying footage was captured Sunday inside the L.A. Harbor breakwater by Daniel Genuth. It has no sound and is best viewed in full screen.

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The footage was subsequently shared by Eric Martin, head aquarist at the Roundhouse Aquarium in Manhattan Beach, who wrote on Facebook:

“As [Genuth] was filming the animals feeding, he got a very horrible surprise. The jet-ski operator not only almost hit the whale, but almost hit the [vessel] Christopher. Then a sailboat went right over the whale, while the whale was feeding. I have no clue what people are thinking anymore when it comes to logic and our environment.”

Various gray whales have been feeding sporadically on the sandy bottom inside the harbor since mid-February, Martin told FTW Outdoors. At least two feeding there Sunday.

The footage begins with a whale surfacing with sand flowing from both sides of its mouth. Gray whales forage on sandy bottoms for crustaceans and other small critters. The sandy patches in the footage were created by feeding whales.

The Christopher, from Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach, is visible at the top of the screen. The jet ski blasts into the picture at 35 seconds, passing over a whale. The driver then speeds toward and veers within feet of the Christoper before continuing the joy ride.

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It’s unclear what happened next, or if the incident was reported to authorities. Harbor Breeze Cruises did not respond to inquiries by FTW Outdoors and did not mention the close call in its Sunday Facebook report.

It’s worth noting that the jet-ski driver might not have been aware of whales feeding inside the harbor, and might not have seen the mammals. But the driver obviously saw the 65-foot boat and high-speed passes such as this are dangerous, if not illegal.

Martin said the incident occurred beyond the low-speed, no-wake zone, but added: “I don’t think he was out of the stupid zone.”

Gray whales are currently migrating from nursing and mating regions of Baja California to summer feeding grounds in Arctic waters.