Orca whales attack sea lion
The footage was shot last month by kayaker Louis Jobidon. Mr. Jobidon was kayaking off the coast of Hornby Island, on B.C.’s north coast between Vancouver Island and the mainland when he shot it. The video was only now posted onto YouTube.
Jobidon said that the killer whales had been attacking the sea lion for about an hour. They had it killed and were circling around it when the video shows one orca leap out of the water and grab the lifeless sea lion in its mouth.
Typically, orcas work together to hunt prey, circling and attacking as these orca whales did. They are known to share their catch.
Orca whale videos
Videos of orcas are becoming common as boaters and hikers s pack phones into nature. Four times in the past three years orcas have made their way up Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet and past the Lion’s Gate Bridge to hunt and each time they’ve been captured on video.
A video was shot last year near Prince Rupert of orcas attacking a group of sea lions.
The coasts of B.C. and Washington state are known for orcas and there are three pods living in these waters. The massive mammals mostly survive on Chinook salmon, with Chum, Coho and sea lions also part of their diet. There is a dearth of salmon in the waters it travels and in recent years some members are believed to have starved to death.
The whales in the area are considered endangered and along with a dearth of food their numbers are being reduced by pollution and contaminants in the water and the effects of vessels traveling through their area. However, of late calves have been born to two of the pods.
The largest pod has a population of 80.
