San Diego's serene seas became the stage for a rare aquatic display as a pod of killer whales, known for their hunting prowess, made a prominent appearance off the coast of Torrey Pines. Domenic Biagini, owner of Gone Whale Watching, and his group had the fortune to observe these marine predators in action just three miles from the shoreline on Monday, according to CBS8.
The Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) killer whales, normally residing south of San Diego, attracted significant attention earlier in the week near Los Angeles. Attracting significant attention to his tours within 90 minutes of sighting them, Biagini notified other local companies and potential customers. "We knew that there had been killer whales around... at some point they were gonna be down here, so we’ve been looking for three days and we finally connected yesterday," Biagini told CBS8. This winter sighting is a surprise, given that orcas are typically sighted in the region during summer.
A similarly thrilling experience was shared by patrons of Pacific Offshore. Venturing on a "LongShot" trip, they encountered the awe-inspiring scene of orcas stalking a pod of dolphins some 45 miles from the coast. A video of the event, captured by Capt Ryan and posted on Instagram, showcased the raw nature of these marine encounters. "We set off on our “LongShot” trip at 730am this morning, and 45 miles later, at 1020am, we found the orcas stalking a pod of dolphins. Thanks to all our loyal customers for coming out for a long shot!" they reported.
Orcas, despite their colloquial name 'killer whales', are an exceptional sight in San Diego waters, with more than 20,000 gray whales typically stealing the spotlight during their migration period between Alaska and Mexico. Ryan Jones, a captain at San Diego Whale Watch, shared his rare encounters, stating, "Seeing killer whales, I can tell you how rare it is. I've been doing whale watching eight years and I've only once seen killer whales prior to today on a whale watching trip in California," as he spoke to CBS8. Observers watched as the whales interacted, even witnessing a mother orca tossing her calf into the air—a behavior seldom seen and thrilling to observers.
