How Do Killer Whales Hunt? The Orca of Bremer Bay are brilliant hunters and today they had yet another successful Beaked Whale hunt in the morning. Arriving in The Patch we could see close to over a thousand birds spread through the area including soaring Wandering Albatross as a frantic energy could be felt. Just ahead the Orca were surging and and we could see amongst the commotion of white water a glimpse of a dorsal fin that was not one of the Orca’s. Pushing the Beaked Whale below the surface we could see the kill was completed quickly as the rest of the family gathered in closer for the feast. It was Queen, Flapper and Stormy who swam past our bow as we noticed Alki and her family carrying the bulk of their meal with them.
Feeding continued for the rest of the morning as the Orca and birds feasted, a spectacle which is always a privilege to witness. Maddison came over to show off her hard work and it was interesting to see her once again carrying the skull of the Beaked Whale alongside mum Nicki. The same behaviour was witnessed earlier on in the season during another Beaked Whale hunt. The family feasted around us before regrouping and merging back into stealth mode and a short time later another oil slick began to form. This one was much smaller and appeared both visually and by scent to possibly be from squid, another feast for the Queen and her family pod. Killer Whales will hunt by teamwork and leadership from their matriarch to build a skillset to apply when targeting different prey. Grouping back together again the family moved out and we wished them well for the afternoon ahead, content Orca with full bellies are always a joy to see.
