Killers hunt Beaked Whale as they went from play mode this morning, into a powerful surge as they pursued their prey and back to stealth mode as the prey seemed to escape them. It was a very warm welcome as within minutes of arriving in The Patch we were approached and surrounded by Cheryl and her family. Playful and excited, they came over for morning greetings and fun with Akama, Gabrielle and B-Slice coming in closest. How wonderful it was to see them all so happy enjoying their morning and as they played we noticed some of the elder pod members were very focused. Travelling together for a while we were in for a fantastic example of just how quickly the energy can change as the Orca instantly and all together turned and accelerated, the hunt was on! Surging powerfully, the whole family moved as one and covered ground so quickly as it was clear they were now in pursuit of prey and we wondered just how close that prey was to these Orca.
The surge went for a while as they covered ground and there was fluctuations to their direction as it appeared what they were chasing was being understandably evasive. The family pod slowed and regrouped with some deep dives, it appeared they were now trying to track what they had been chasing into deeper water. Stealth mode was activated and now the Orca spread and covered ground as they looked carefully but it appeared what they had pursued had gotten away from them for now. It certainly can happen with every foraging attempt or chase not always successful, disappointment for the Orca but great relief for the prey they had been chasing. A couple of Sunfish cruised past and even though Eddie and the youngsters were playful they let him swim away as they followed their family out towards deeper water. Wishing them well we hoped they would be successful in securing a meal later today or perhaps this evening. A very unique tour today to have the opportunity to witness a range of behaviours from the Orca and how a hunt can unfold, even apex predators have challenges when trying to secure elusive prey.
