Orcas on a Kill!

Today we headed south to check out a report of Orcas hunting a Minke whale. On our way we saw harbor porpoises, harbor seals, Stellar sea lions and lots of sea birds on bait balls. It was another day of great viewing conditions. Then, just south of Smith Island, we saw the Orcas! Pods T065A and T099 were milling about feeding on their catch. The carcass was not visible from our boat, but there were plenty of birds diving for any scraps! The Orcas seemed in great spirit, sharing their meal and celebrating, spreading apart a bit but not leaving the kill site. We even saw a few breaches and a spy hop! All in all they stayed in the spot for at least 5 hours. It was a big triumph for the 65As and 99s, and an amazing tour for us!

Photos taken by Naturalist Kaylee