On April 10th 2011 we observed about 9 killer whales in scattered pods on a gorgeous day in the Monterey Bay. Nearby, there was a lone gray whale that quickly became targeted by a few of the killer whales. The gray whale turned belly-up (to protect it's vulnerable organs) and was eventually left alone. He appeared injured, as he swam slowly in circles taking shallow breaths. Here's a picture of a killer whale beside the unfortunate gray.
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| Killer Whale and Gray Whale-- Photo by Kate Cummings |
Below is a picture of the gray whale after the orcas had gone. Looks like there's a depression on it's left side behind the blowholes. Sometimes when orcas attack or harass gray whales, you won't see any blood as most of the damage is internal.
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| Bewildered Gray Whale-- Photo by Kate Cummings |
Killer whales are efficient hunters and will typically target gray whale mothers and their calves. They divide and conquer-- separating the mother from the calf and attempt to drown the calf. Today, it looked like the killer whales were either teaching the young ones how to attack whales, or they were just being bullies!
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