orca encounter – Syndication Server

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.

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.

Orcas interact with boaters in emotional close encounter

Emotions ran high when orcas appeared alongside the small boat and began to interact with passengers and crew in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez.

“I laughed and cried and was in utter disbelief,” Tara Weberg recalled.

It was Weberg’s 12th trip to Bahia de los Angeles and each previous time she had hoped to see orcas. On this day, April 20, her wish came true in the form of 12 orcas spread out in three pods of four.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN-TyiYhBH0/

“My initial reaction when our captain Pancho spotted them was ‘No way!’ ” she said.

Weberg, who lives in Yucca Valley in Southern California, was with Chalie Harmer, owner of Silver Shark Adventures, and Capt. Pancho Verdugo.

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The first of two clips accompanying this post shows four orcas, including a newborn calf, swimming alongside the boat and exhaling loudly each time they surface to breathe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COB_1osBN97/

The second clip shows two orcas swimming alongside and immediately behind the boat, at times opening their mouths in what might be considered unusual behavior.

Said Harmer, who can be seen placing his phone only inches from one orca’s head: “I’ve heard stories previously that fishermen in Baja sometimes toss the orcas fish when they’re feeling threatened by them. Perhaps this is a learned behavior.”

Tara Weberg expresses joy during orca encounter

Eastern Tropical Pacific orcas, or killer whales, are spotted sporadically in the Sea of Cortez and have been known to surf behind vessels and express curiosity toward boaters.

But encounters such as this are still considered rare.

Harmer recalled how the excitement level increased once the initial sighting occurred:

“As soon as my captain spotted them with the binoculars in the distance, he turned and looked at me with eyes wide open. I knew right there we got the orcas.

“A few seconds later, I saw a huge dorsal fin in the distance and realized we were just gifted a day we’d never forget.

“Tara still didn’t completely get it and kept on looking back at us with a look of disbelief. Pancho and I didn’t tell her anything. We wanted her to figure it out and react without our help.

“She completely lost it as all of her emotions came out. Both me and Pancho realized how incredible the moment was and were all emotional for her.

“Watching her and Pancho that day was as rewarding as observing the orcas.”

Orcas greet swimmer face to face; ‘They were speaking to me’

A New Zealand distance swimmer is used to spotting seals, rays, and the occasional octopus. But Steve Morris said he felt “a rush of euphoria” Monday during a face-to-face encounter with large orcas.

“Yes, we were face to face, and they were ‘speaking’ to me,” Morris told For The Win Outdoors.

The Tauranga resident was with others from the Ocean Swim Squad off Mount Maunganui when a pod of eight orcas was spotted nearby. Two of the killer whales swam directly toward Morris, who carries a GoPro stuffed in his wetsuit during his swims.

“I first saw orcas from a distance while swimming four years ago,” he said. “Since then I dreamed of an encounter like [Monday].”

He told the New Zealand Herald that it was “the best day of my life.”

Morris posted two video clips and several images to Facebook along with the description: “Look who decided to join us for a lap of The Mount this morning!”

https://www.facebook.com/seamenmorris/posts/10157822034760178

Orca vocalizations can be heard in one of the video clips.

The mammals belong to a pod that frequents the region.

While it’s against the law for people to approach and interact with orcas, in this case the mammals approached and interacted with the swimmers.

“Obviously you are not allowed to swim with orca whales on purpose, but they came up to us,” Morris told the New Zealand NewsHub.

–Images courtesy of Steve Morris