Orcas attack and and kill grey whale and calf

[doctormike]

Here's an interesting piece on how it may sometimes be a better strategy to be a microfauna filter feeder than a predator.

 

[Bob DBF]

Now I feel even luckier than I did at the time.

I was freediving for Abalone on the NorCal coast, the water was deeper than I normally dive but the tops of some boulders on the bottom came up to 20 to 30 feet. So I'm heading in to shore and a Gray whale and calf come into the "cove", with the calf between the mom and shore.

Why I didn't crap my pants I'll never know. I just wanted to get back on land without my actions being misconstrued by mom. Or baby for that matter, did I say they were f'n big. So I sat on shore watching them mill around the area, with mom keeping the calf between her and shore.

That night or the next, it was reported on the news that a pod of killer whales were spotted off the coast in the area I was diving. Since the video, or personal video drones for that matter, didn't exist, I was just happy to see the whales.

The way I figure, mom and calf were hiding, and using the background shore noise to hide their own. Puts them a bit higher on the survival list.


Bob

 

[Wingy]

If you're interested in Orca behaviour and predations we have an annual aggregation at Bremer Bay for a few months every year. Some amazing research and footage coming from Dave Riggs and the Bremer Canyon expeditions with Naturaliste charters allowing the community to check them out and help data collections. I found the fact that our orcas have Aussie accents quite interesting - and cool

 

[drbill]

The Mutual Eating Society

 

[Bob DBF]

The Mutual Eating Society

People do to the same to animals, and vegetables, however we have become more "civilized" about the details.


Bob