Can you spot the dolphin in the orca’s mouth in at the end of the video? 😳
We were in complete awe watching this orca pod plan, initiate and flawlessly execute an attack.
The day started out calm, surrounded by a pod of 10 or so chill orcas. But then I heard a guest on my boat go “oh hey, look there are also dolphins over there!” 🙃
I immediately threw the drone up. Something crazy was definitely about to happen and I wanted a bird’s eye view.
From above, you could see the orca pod (which had previously been swimming all together) split off into 2-3 smaller groups and spread out. Slicing quietly beneath the surface, rarely coming up for breath, speeding off in different directions.
Then, the sea began to boil.
All of a sudden, seemingly hundreds of dolphins started leaping from the water in a full-on panic. They had run into one of the orca groups. The dolphins turned a full 180, speeding away as fast as their fins could carry them in the opposite direction, three orcas in pursuit.
But what they hadn’t realized is that they were being herded. As the dolphin pod raced away from their pursuers, they sped straight into the waiting jaws of the other orcas. They had been corralled.
Most of the dolphins got away (strength in numbers!), but one fell behind.
Three orcas closed in. One on its tail, the others cutting off every escape. The dolphin darted around erratically, but there was no opening.
The dolphin was trapped, an orca now on each side as it tried desperately to speed ahead, the only direction it could go. Finally, one orca went in for the final blow, slicing suddenly to the left and snatching the tiny dolphin in its mouth. 🥲
As a someone who also adores dolphins, this death and destruction is particularly hard for me to watch. But you can’t deny the raw power, calculated cooperation, and extreme intelligence of these orcas seeing events like this unfold.
-Brittany
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