Tag: San Diego

Orcas try to kill ‘massive’ gray whale off San Diego; video

The killer whales “assaulted” the adult gray whale for nearly an hour in rarely documented behavior.

Killer whales from Mexico continue to thrill Southern California boaters while preying on dolphins and milling near vessels.

But on Friday off San Diego, a pod of Eastern Tropical Pacific killer whales was documented attacking an adult gray whale in a rarely seen predation attempt that lasted nearly an hour.

The accompanying footage was captured by Capt. Ryan Lawler of Pacific Offshore Expeditions. While the footage is graphic, the gray whale proved too large for the orcas and ultimately continued its migration toward Baja California nursing and mating grounds.

Delaney Trowbridge, also a Pacific Offshore Expeditions captain, described the encounter via Instagram, beginning her post, “Bloodied and bruised, but not broken.”

Trowbridge’s report included an image of the gray whale’s fluke with fresh bite wounds.

She added: “Over the last few weeks we’ve watched the Eastern Tropical Pacific killer whales plow their way through pods of common and bottlenose dolphins, but today their eyes were set on a much larger prize: a massive, adult gray whale.

“Despite their best efforts, lasting nearly an hour in their assault, the orcas abandoned their hunt and moved on.”

Eastern Tropical Pacific killer whales, fairly common in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, are considered rare visitors to Southern California. But that designation might no longer apply.

Alisa Schulman-Janiger of the California Killer Whale Project told FTW Outdoors that the ETPs have been documented off Southern California 18 different days since last Dec. 11.

While their presence is exciting for marine mammal enthusiasts, not everybody is pleased to see them linger for so long.

Reads one comment beneath Trowbridge’s post: “God Bless this Whale and any others tortured by these Orcas. They seem to be on a serious killing spree off of California and they typically don’t stay this long. This leads to many other concerns.”

Transient killer whales, commonly encountered in Monterey Bay, also visit Southern California sporadically.

Transients also prey on other marine mammals, including gray whale calves that pass through Monterey Bay with their mothers during the northbound migration to Alaska.

Check the yardage book: Torrey Pines South for the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour

StrackaLine offers a hole-by-hole course guide for the main layout used in the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

Torrey Pines’ South Course in San Diego – the main layout used in the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour – was designed by the father-son duo of William P. Bell and William F. Bell and opened in 1957. The layout was extensively renovated by Rees Jones in 2001, and he made later refinements in 2019.

The first two rounds of the Farmers (Wednesday and Thursday) are split between Torrey Pines’ North and South courses, with the final two rounds (Friday and Saturday) on the South after the field is cut.

The South ranks No. 4 in California on Golfweek’s Best list of public-access courses in each state, and it ranks No. 111 on Golfweek’s Best list of all classic courses built in the U.S. before 1960. The North Course ranks No. 10 among California’s public-access tracks.

The South will play to 7,765 yards with a par of 72, while the North plays to 7,258 yards, also with a par of 72.

Thanks to yardage books provided by StrackaLine – the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world – we can see exactly the challenges the pros face this week on the South Course.

Orca blasts dolphin skyward during epic hunting exhibition

The killer whales from Mexico have thrilled boaters recently in Southern California, while striking terror into dolphin pods.

Killer whales from Mexico have thrilled boaters over the past week in Southern California, while striking terror into dolphin pods.

The Eastern Tropical Pacific killer whales, or orcas, appear to have traveled this far north specifically to hunt dolphins.

The accompanying footage, shared by Netzero Expeditions, graphically illustrates the hunting prowess of the ETPs during a dolphin-killing event Monday off San Diego.

Netzero’s Instagram description reads, in part: “This magnificent creature, with a massive weight of 6,000 kg and capable of speeds up to 56 km/h, showcased a striking example of kinetic energy in the natural world.

“During its hunting maneuver, the orca generated a staggering 727,087.87 Joules of energy, comparable to the force of over 450 professional boxer’s punches or a compact car moving at 60 km/h colliding with a wall — all concentrated in a single, breathtaking instant.”

Translation: ETP orcas are as powerful as they are graceful, and common dolphins that are so abundant off Southern California will be more at peace when the killer whales return to Mexico.

Arkansas to play in a San Diego invitational in 2024

It’s already time to start planning for the 2024-25 season apparently, as Arkansas will take place in the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego.

Arkansas will be playing in a non-conference tournament in Eric Musselman’s old stomping grounds next year.

It was announced on Thursday that the Rady Children’s Invitational will feature the Razorbacks in San Diego, most likely in November 2024.

Arkansas will be familiar with the Boilermakers, since it’s hosting them in a charity exhibition in late October at Bud Walton Arena.

Musselman played and graduated from the University of San Diego, and both of his sons (Michael and Matthew) graduated from the university.

Arkansas also found out its SEC schedule for the upcoming season Thursday, as well, when the league announced the 18-game slate for every team in the conference. The Razorbacks open the regular season this fall Nov. 6 at Bud Walton Arena against Alcorn State and begin league play Jan. 6 at home against Auburn.

Notre Dame to play in 2024 Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego

Make your travel plans for Thanksgiving weekend next year.

Notre Dame’s 2023-24 season won’t start for another two months, but we already know one event on its calendar for the 2024-25 season. The Irish will take part in the 2024 Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego. Also participating are Purdue, BYU and latest entry Arkansas. The first edition of this invitational will take place this Thanksgiving weekend, so it’s safe to assume next year event also will happen at the same time.

Breaking the mold for the invitational in 2023 will be USC, Seton Hall, Iowa and Oklahoma. The Irish have their own multi-day event this season in the Legends Classic in Brooklyn. They’ll tip that tournament off against Auburn and then play either Oklahoma State or St. Bonaventure.

The difference between this year’s Legends Classic and next year’s Rady Children’s Invitational is that in the latter tournament, [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] will have a team more in line with what he’s looking for. Until then, he’ll go through some first-year struggles with a young roster that was patched together quickly out of necessity. It shows how different things can be from one season to the next.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Watch: Orcas hunt dolphins off San Diego and it’s no contest

The operator of a San Diego-based whale-watching company has captured rare footage showing orcas hunting and catching dolphins.

The owner of a San Diego-based whale-watching business on Friday shared a video clip showing an orca lunging after an elusive dolphin during an “amazing game of cat and mouse.”

But Domenic Biagini told ForTheWin Outdoors that this was just a tiny portion of an orca hunting spree that he captured with a drone three weeks ago in remote offshore waters.

Biagini operates Gone Whale Watching San Diego. His footage is posted below and contains a warning, “Viewer discretion is advised,” because it shows orcas chasing and catching dolphins, and swimming with dolphin flesh.

“During the hunt, the older whales try and teach the young whales how to participate, so while this may appear cruel, it is actually a vital teaching and bonding moment for the entire family!” Biagini wrote in his YouTube description.

Eastern Tropical Pacific orcas, or killer whales, are encountered mostly off Mexico but occasionally visit Southern California waters, where common dolphins are abundant.

Orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family and ETP orcas prey predominantly on smaller dolphins and other marine mammals.

First-time angler lands rare moonfish, a pending world record

A first-time angler on an overnight trip out of San Diego has landed a potential world-record opah, or moonfish.

A first-time angler on an overnight trip out of San Diego has landed a potential world-record opah.

Beau Leaman of Santa Clarita, Ca., caught the 188.6-pound opah, or moonfish, after a 45-minute battle while fishing Monday aboard the Horizon.

Capt. William Wilkerson told FTW Outdoors that Leaman was using a rental rod on a 1.5-day tuna excursion with friends. “He was fishing pretty deep and at first he thought he was stuck on the bottom,” Wilkerson said.

The opah, caught on a jig, was reeled from 300-plus feet and the crew knew by its movements that it was not a tuna. They used four gaffs to hoist the fish through a gate near the stern (see video below).

The wounds on its side, visible in the images, were caused by cookie-cutter sharks as the brightly colored fish was reeled toward the surface.

Leaman, 37, implied that the experience was as bittersweet as it was surreal, saying:

“Once it was on the boat, I think most of us were in dismay. From the shark bites on its side, to its blend of orange and red, its tail fin slapping the deck, its massive eyes and fins that don’t seem to do much work… It did not look real.”

Opah catches are rare because the fish do not typically swim in schools and their whereabouts are unpredictable. Because of this, there is no directed commercial fishery for opah and catches almost always are incidental.

The world record stands at 180 pounds, 12 ounces, for a 2014 catch south of San Diego.

Wilkerson said the International Game Fish Assn. has been contacted about Leaman’s catch and that a world-record application will be submitted.

–Images and video courtesy of Horizon Charters and H&M Landing

Great white sharks reclaim spotlight at San Diego Beach

The sighting Friday of three great white sharks off Black’s Beach in San Diego provides strong evidence that perhaps dozens of juvenile sharks are still utilizing the area between Black’s and Del Mar.

The sighting Friday of three great white sharks off Black’s Beach in San Diego illustrates that several juvenile sharks are still utilizing coastal waters between Black’s and Del Mar.

In the middle of this area is Torrey Pines State Beach, which contains bluff-top trails from which sharks can be spotted when conditions are right.

The following is a repost from last fall – “Great white sharks now a tourist attraction at San Diego beach” – with images I’ve since captured from one of the trails:

©Pete Thomas

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and State Beach is known for its sweeping views of the Pacific. Migrating whales are sometimes spotted in the distance.

But these days great white sharks are a premier attraction for some hikers at the reserve near San Diego. Dozens of juvenile white sharks have spent the summer and early fall off Torrey Pines and Del Mar, just to the north.

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The sharks have been feeding on stingrays and other bottom fishes, keeping a fairly low profile until recently.

Anglers began to hook them and on Oct. 30 the carcass of an 8-foot white shark was discovered on the shore at Torrey Pines. The shark died as a result of fishing activity. (White sharks are protected and targeting them while fishing is illegal.)

©Pete Thomas

On Nov. 4, a distance swimmer was bitten by a shark off Del Mar and hospitalized. Lyn Jutronich told NBC San Diego that the shark shook briefly before releasing its grip. Jutronich was hospitalized and treated for puncture wounds to her right thigh.

The type of shark was not confirmed, but it was presumed to be a juvenile white shark.

On Nov. 6, the Torrey Pines reserve posted a Facebook image of a white shark in a wave.

The Facebook post advertised the presence of sharks and listed spots from which they might be seen: Yucca Point, Razor Point and the Guy Fleming overlooks.

“For best results, plan your trip before 11 a.m. and during high tide,” the Torrey Pines reserve advised. “Sunglasses with polarized lenses and binoculars both also help.”

To be sure, the temporary white shark aggregation site at Torrey Pines is substantial.

Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach, told FTW Outdoors that several white sharks tagged off Southern California in recent years are in the area.

“We’ve detected 31 tagged juvenile white sharks (in the last month) out the 62 tagged at Solana Beach, Del Mar and Torrey Pines over the last three years,” Lowe said. “We’ve seen up to 12 sharks in a single drone video frame at Torrey Pines in the last few months.

“This is now the largest aggregation since the Santa Barbara aggregation has broken down.”

It’s not clear how long the sharks will remain in the area.

Planet’s largest creatures begin to appear off Southern California

As blue whales begin to show off Southern California, a well-known photographer has shared a 2016 drone image that reveals the immense size of the planet’s largest creatures.

As blue whales begin to show off Southern California, a well-known photographer has shared a 2016 drone image that reveals the immense size of the planet’s largest creatures.

The accompanying image, captured by Mark Girardeau for Newport Whales, shows a blue whale dwarfing a large passenger vessel.

“The boat pictured is called Nautilus and is 72’ long,” Girardeau explained on Instagram. “That must mean the whale is like 140’ long right?

“Actually, the largest blue whale ever documented off California is around 90’ but due to the perspective of the photo, the whale just appears larger…. In this photo, there were about 85 [people] onboard and the whale is likely around 80’ long.”

Endangered blue whales, which number between 10,000 and 25,000 globally, can weigh more than 200 tons. They’re larger than all known dinosaurs.

They migrate into California waters beginning in late spring or early summer and spend several months, venturing as far north as Alaska, gorging on shrimp-like krill. (A single whale can devour more than 4 tons of krill per day.)

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Girardeau’s image provides a unique perspective because people on boats typically see only small portions of blue whales as they surface to breathe.

This week, first-of-season blue whale sightings were logged by Legacy Whale Watch in San Diego, and San Diego Whale Watch.

“We started our adventure heading straight west from Mission Bay as we had heard whispers of something big waiting out there for us,” San Diego Whale Watch reported Friday via Facebook. “We were quickly rewarded by sighting not just one – but three blue whales!”

Also on Friday, a blue whale was spotted off Point Vicente in Los Angeles County, by volunteers with the Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project.

The blue whale season for whale-watching operations in Southern California coincides with the waning weeks of the northbound gray whale migration.

Watch: Deer survives cougar attack thanks to curious motorist

A San Diego County motorist unintentionally spoiled a mountain lion’s attempt to take down a deer this week by pulling up to capture the scene on video.

A San Diego County motorist unintentionally spoiled a mountain lion’s attempt to kill a deer this week when he stopped to capture the scene on video.

Buddy Wilkerson of Alpine told NBC that he first saw just the deer on the side of Japatul Road, then realized he had stumbled upon a mountain lion predation attempt.

“All I saw was the deer. It was a big deer,” Wilkerson says in the footage. “And as I got closer, I saw the mountain lion.”

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Wilkerson estimated the mountain lion’s weight at 100-plus pounds. In California, mule deer are typical prey for adult mountain lions, or cougars.

Wilkerson said he did not intend to frighten the mountain lion, which is seen releasing its grip on the deer’s throat and sprinting into the wilderness, allowing the deer to escape.

“He was just trying to eat,” Wilkerson acknowledges in the video. “I wasn’t trying to, you know, interrupt or anything. I just wanted to see him and as I got a little bit closer, I guess it spooked him.”

–Generic mountain lion image courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service