Day in the life of an Orca is something we have the wonderful opportunity of observing everyday and today we were so pleased to see Cheryl and her family pod after some time away from The Patch. A beautiful morning greeted us on our arrival in the sighting grounds as the Shearwaters worked steadily and we could see many blows just up ahead. Distinctive dorsal fins appeared as B-Slice and Giovanni moved with the rest of the family pod and it was clear they were tracking something as they worked hard together before stretching out and covering distance to the east. A controlled surge began and it seemed they had honed in on what they were tracking but we could see they were now moving out to deeper water, if it was a Beaked Whale he was heading to the depths. The family pod worked together by spreading out and creating an enormous Orca net to ensure there was limited escape options for their prey that they were targeting.
Stealth is so important when targeting Beaked Whales and the Orca certainly respect their prey as they are disciplined and focused in their search. After a steady search the family began to regroup and approach us to socialise and interact as reports came in that Beaked Whales had surfaced a short distance away. It appeared the Orca had just missed out on the meal they had been looking for but working in over 2500 meters of water they were certainly outside of the depths they specialise in and the Beaked Whale had the upper hand… for now! It was now time for the Orca to relax and rest after such a prolonged search as they came in and underneath us for social time and to allow their brains a refresh after so much focus. It was lovely to spend some time with them all and see Mr B-Slice so cheeky as usual while little Eddie is not so little anymore and seems to be growing bigger and bigger by the day. During our return through The Patch it was great to see Queen and her family having returned and also in forage mode with the Orca setting up for a big evening of hunting ahead during another day in the life of an Orca.
