Orcas battle humpbacks in interspecies skirmish caught on camera off Vancouver Island
An international whale watching and conservation group says some of its members came across a rare and dramatic encounter between orcas and humpbacks off Vancouver Island this week.
According to the Pacific Whale Watch Association, a large group of transient orcas – also known as Bigg's orcas – were seen harassing a pair of humpback whales near the maritime border between the U.S. and Canada Thursday morning.
The incident began shortly after 11 a.m. in the Juan de Fuca Strait, roughly 40 kilometres west of Victoria and Port Angeles, Wash., the PWWA said in a news release.
"Crew members with Eagle Wing Tours were the first to locate a group of approximately 15 killer whales being unusually active at the surface," the group said in its statement.
"Not long afterward, another whale watcher, captain Jimmy Zakreski of BC Whale Tours discovered the likely cause of the orcas’ excitement: two humpback whales in their midst."
The PWWA says it's not unprecedented for orcas to attack humpbacks, but it's a rare occurrence, as they typically hunt smaller prey like seals, sea lions and porpoises.
The group says there have been no recorded instances of orcas killing humpback whales in B.C. waters, though it expects conflicts between the two species to increase in the coming years, as both transient orca and humpback populations in the region have been growing.
"According to observers who came and went throughout the day, the encounter included an astonishing three hours of breaching, tail-slapping, and loud vocalizations before all of the whales disappeared into the fog, keeping the final outcome of the melee a mystery," the PWWA said of Thursday's incident.
Bigg's orcas clash with humpback whale "Reaper." Photo: Mollie Naccarato, Sooke Coastal Explorations, PWWA
Researchers have identified the humpbacks involved as BCX1948 "Reaper" and BCY1000 "Hydra," while the orcas involved are believed to belong to pods more commonly found on the outer coast than in the strait, according to the association.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it because it was absolutely unbelievable,” said Mollie Naccarato, captain and naturalist for Sooke Coastal Explorations, in the PWWA release.
“At first, the orcas seemed to be chasing the humpbacks, but then when it seemed there was space between them, the humpbacks would go back toward the orcas.”
The PWWA says its members hope to encounter Reaper and Hydra again before they begin their annual winter migration.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.