Killer whales attack, kill newborn gray whale in offshore spectacle

[jaysunb]

The orcas kept jumping on top of the gray whales and ramming them," Alps said. "The calf got knocked clear out of the water a few times. The mom was really thrashing around, you could see her tail flukes thrashing at the

One of the killer whales feasts on the gray whale carcass, the smaller object at right of photo. (Photo courtesy of Eric Martin)orcas."
Within about 30 minutes, the two-ton baby was dead and the mother swam for safety in the coastal kelp beds.

Gray whales migrate past Southern California every winter, as they leave their Arctic feeding grounds to breed and give birth in warm lagoons off of Baja California in Mexico. On their return back north, they face their most dangerous ocean predator - transient killer whales, who love to feed on the tender tongue and throat of gray whale calves.

Historically, Monterey Bay is the closest place orcas can be seen hunting gray whale calves. Wednesday's sighting was a first, local marine mammal researchers said.

American Cetacean Society Los Angeles chapter gray whale census takers stationed at
the Point Vicente Interpretive Center reported that the hunt began at about 4 p.m.
The Christopher, a Long Beach-based whale watching catamaran, quickly got to the scene. Onlookers from the boat and shore saw 12 orcas swim in various directions as they stalked the mother-child pair. Then, the orcas reportedly formed a tight group as they overwhelmed their prey.



Read more: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_20595943/killer-whales-attack-kill-newborn-gray-whale-offshore#ixzz1ubwxObZ5

[Booster]

1. Orcas must be Republican. Always picking on the little guy. Poor little baby never had a chance.

[RandySF]

2. And people wonder why it's a bad idea to ride killer whales.

I saw a video of an orca biting a great white in two. It's not cute and cuddly. It's a predator.

[adigal]

3. I saw a show on this a few years ago - it still haunts me

I wish there were a way humans could help the whales get past the orcas. They are smart and aggressive - real killers. I would have wanted to shoot them if I were on that catamaran. Except I don't like or have guns.

[jaysunb]

4. Unfortunately, humans need to learn before they can help

others.....

[Marrah_G]

5. The Orcas are just doing what Orcas do

This is how they eat. Many predatory animals weed out the young, the old or the disabled when making a kill.

[Johnny Rico]

6. Wild animals killing other wild animals.

Shrug.

[adigal]

9. This is new, though

The Orcas have learned to do this. And they change their behavior, as do the whales to try to avoid them.

[Johnny Rico]

11. It's new to us, yes...but that doesn't mean that orcas weren't doing this a million years ago.

It may well just be the first time such behavior has been documented.

[LeftyMom]

13. No it's not.

They pick off a few calves on the migration every year. The only unusual thing about this story is that it happened a bit farther south than normal.

[adigal]

14. I saw the show about 4 or 5 years ago

and the whales had learned that the calves were easy pickings. THey didn't used to do this to them.

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. Circle of life and all...I just don't want to see it and/or read about it etc...

I have a hard enough time watching the Decorah eaglets have lunch.

[rppper]

8. I think tori Amos once said....

....that she thought being eaten by alligators would be a unique way to die because it would be a lunch and not personal....nature is a cruel place at times, but it's nature, it's not personal...

[Johnny Rico]

12. You do realize that your characterization of a species as "smart and aggressive - real killers"

applies more to humans than any other animal?

[joshcryer]

19. Battle at Kruger

Yes, for every one of these amazing stories there are hundreds if not thousands of more "survival of the fittest" behavior, but yeah.

[alphafemale]

10. So...? Just because your meat comes packaged in plastic there is no death and pain?

Grow the Fuck Up!

You think Orcas have a SafeWay where they can buy their meat in clean little packages?

[11 Bravo]

15. Who the fuck pissed in your corn flakes?

The OP simply related the story. There was nothing in the least judgemental or opinionated in the post. Grow the Fuck up, indeed.

[alphafemale]

16. What the fuck do think Orca's eat, child?

Pre-wrapped plastic packages of meat?

So that death is clean and pretty?

Again.

Grow the fuck up.

[MrMickeysMom]

17. Take a chill pill

Many of us think we are the grown-ups... only to have to look back on really snarky posts telling others to GTFU.

[11 Bravo]

18. Read the fucking post. Get someone to help you with the big words. Then get over yourself.

[cherokeeprogressive]

20. There is nothing new or unique about this. Consider these two pictures...

The orcas normally attack the grays when they're in the open water between Monterey and Santa Cruz. There is a documentary that shows the orcas keeping the mother away while they pound the baby to a pulp. The gray whales normally stick close to the shore. When they get to this place they cross the open water and become sitting ducks.

Now compare the open water between Palos Verdes and Malibu with that between Monterey and Santa Cruz. It's almost exactly the same situation. For this reason, I'd bet my bottom dollar that this has happened MANY MANY times; it just hasn't been documented.