A pod of orcas that typically spend time off Mexico traveled up to Southern California Monday, Dec. 11, creating a buzz on the water.
Charter boats rushed to get a close-up look at the mysterious sea creatures that rarely show up off local waters with some passengers watching as orcas feasted on dolphins.
Orcas are one of the most unpredictable of the marine mammals – showing up sporadically, rare enough to make their appearances extra special for enthusiasts who dream of getting up close to the “killer whales” in nature.
The black-and-white orcas were first spotted by Catalina Express, then reported to other charter boats, including Harbor Breeze which operates out of Long Beach and San Pedro.
On the noon trip, the charter boat reported the pod had 11 – 12 orcas, including two calves.
Orcas were last seen in April off Palos Verdes, but this pod — the Eastern Tropical Pacific killer whales –have only been seen off Southern California a handful of times.
They made news when they showed up in 2018 and again in 2019 off Orange County to feast on dolphins for days, giving passengers a raw look at the “wolves of the sea” as they are often called.
The orcas on Monday followed suit, according to Ryan Lawler, captain of Newport Coastal Adventure.
Whale watchers on the boat Triumphant’s second trip saw the orcas hunting and feeding on dolphins right alongside the vessel. This was similar to behavior documented during the killer whales’ previous visits.
The orcas seen more frequently off local waters are known as “transients,” but these ETP tropical orcas are distinguishable by their darker saddle patches and smaller eye patches.
“They are very boat friendly and approach close to boats to investigate and play,” Newport Coastal Adventure reported on social media with images of the orcas coming close to the boats.
Killer whales are the largest member of the dolphin family.
“Where will these orcas end up next? Right now they are in the Santa Monica Bay, but be on high alert, they could pass through Newport Beach going south at some point this week,” according to Newport Coastal Adventure.
