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Natural Born Killer Whales: B.C. Man Witnesses Orca Seal Buffet Hunt
The pod used coordinated tactics to drive harbour seals into the water, and one kill was captured on video, said eyewitness Kevin Morgan.
- On August 31, Sooke resident Kevin Morgan filmed a pod of orcas hunting harbour seals near the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Patricia Bay, with up to eight whales working together to knock seals off a log breakwater.
- The orcas utilized coordinated teamwork to disrupt logs and create waves, forcing seals into the water where they became vulnerable to capture. Erin Gless of the Pacific Whale Watch Association noted the predatory behavior is typical of these whales.
- Identified as the T109As, this pod are relatives of Brave Little Hunter, the orphan orca calf who captured international attention in 2024. Despite no confirmed sightings in two years, Gless said, "We've been surprised before" regarding the calf's potential survival.
- Sightings near Victoria's Inner Harbour have surged, with pods visiting twice in one day. Gless suspects harbour seal pup season drives the increase and warns residents to watch local marinas, as whales are appearing in unexpected places.
- Morgan acknowledged mixed emotions watching the hunt despite its brutality, stating "they have to eat just as much as the seals" and emphasizing the importance of orca survival in Greater Victoria waters.
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Natural born killer whales: B.C. man witnesses orca seal buffet hunt
On game night, it’s easy to pick a side to cheer for. When the stakes are life or death – and both sides are icons of Greater Victoria’s waters – choosing who to champion is not so easy. That was the decision facing Sooke resident Kevin Morgan when he got a front row seat to a spectacular display of the beauty and brutality of the natural world. After finishing work Aug. 31 near the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Patricia Bay, Morgan and his col…
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Total News Sources9
Leaning Left8Leaning Right0Center0Last UpdatedBias Distribution100% Left
Bias Distribution
- 100% of the sources lean Left
100% Left
L 100%
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