Graphic Warning: Beaked Whale Predation
Beaked Whale predation was observed today as Alki and Lucky combined pods to secure a juvenile Beaked Whale with a dramatic feeding observed afterwards. It was an exciting start to our day as within seconds of arriving in the sighting grounds there they were, blows and dorsal fins all around The Patch. Queen, Alki, Kidji and Lucky’s pods were all observed as the four families had spread through the hunting grounds and it was clear that there may be something in the area as they focused in on stealth mode. Travelling with Lucky and her family is always an amazing experience with so many Pod Members including big males Koomba and Jimmy pushing through the swell. Soon it was a surge to the west as they moved quickly but didn’t need to travel all that far as the families began to converge. It was an interesting situation as males from Lucky’s family were observed flirting with female members of Kidji’s family as males Hookfin and Chalky watched on protectively to ensure nothing got out of hand. During this time members of Queen’s family arrived on scene before Alki surfaced just ahead of us towing a juvenile Beaked Whale by its fluke. Often the juvenile Beaked Whales are captured at depth before they even reach the surface and it appears it occurred today with Alki and the help of Lucky’s pod.
It was incredible to watch as we were surrounded by members of the four families totalling over fifty Orca moving in on the scene. Alki was patient and waited for those that helped with the hunt to regroup and approach her before the meal was split. Lucky moved off with their smaller share of the meal before Slater surfaced carrying the majority of the Beaked Whale including the skull. It was heavy and as Slater surfaced each time we could see him having to push with extra force to lift the weight. Sharks were all around as they darted about at the surface to secure scraps while a cloud of Shearwaters and Albatross loomed over the Orca. The feeding went for almost two hours as the entire family enjoyed their share but Slater, Maddison and Grace put on the biggest display. Bringing the skull over to us repeatedly they showed off their meal with pride and ensured nothing was wasted. The distinctive beak of the Beaked Whale which is their upper and lower jaw was clear to see within the powerful jaws of Slater who did not release it until the very end of feeding time. Maddison and Grace enjoyed the last of what was left as Opal and Samurai zoomed in on our stern to checkout what was happing, but all was gone with no leftovers for those cheeky munchkins! It was an incredible day and although the sight of these events can be graphic it reveals the raw, untamed world that these Orca live in and how fortunate we are to be part of it for a few hours everyday.
