Whale watchers on a tiny tour boat off Moss Landing in Monterey Bay stumbled into the kind of wildlife spectacle you usually only see in documentaries on Sunday, as a pod of orcas repeatedly rocketed out of the water while hunting dolphins. Passengers aboard a small RHIB captured video and photos of the whales ramming and tossing long-beaked common dolphins, including one leap estimated at roughly 15 feet high to snatch a dolphin in midair. The orcas stayed near the rim of the Monterey Submarine Canyon for about an hour before other boats showed up.
According to Sanctuary Cruises, the mid-day Ocean Spirit trip encountered seven Bigg's (transient) killer whales hunting roughly 15 long-beaked common dolphins just outside the canyon. The operator identified most of the group as members of the CA140B matriline, known locally as Louise's pod, and said adult male CA151, nicknamed "Jimmy," was also in the mix.
Mike Sack, owner of Sanctuary Cruises and captain of the Ocean Spirit, told SFGATE that the orcas "jumped out 10 to 15 times," and Sack's photographs show an adult orca slamming into a dolphin in midair. A UC Santa Cruz scientist quoted in the SFGATE report called seeing the full hunt from start to finish exciting and exceptional.
Bigg's Orcas: Mammal Hunters With High-Impact Tactics
Bigg's, or transient, killer whales specialize in hunting marine mammals and commonly use cooperative tactics, including high-speed ramming strikes, to separate and stun prey, according to NOAA Fisheries. That hunting style helps explain why the Monterey encounter looked so violent: these orcas use sheer body mass and teamwork to peel individuals away from a larger dolphin pod.
What Passengers And Nearby Boats Saw Up Close
Passengers on the Ocean Spirit, which WBAL NewsRadio said carried just five guests that day, described orcas leaping on both sides of the boat and clearing the RHIB's roof as they struck. Capt. Joseph Stagnaro told WBAL his vessel found the whales early and had them to themselves for about an hour before the wider whale-watch fleet caught up, and NBC Bay Area later posted a short video and report from the scene.
How To Watch And Why Distance Matters
As intense as it looked, the hunt is part of Monterey Bay's normal, if harsh, food web. Officials urge people to take it in from a respectful distance. NOAA Fisheries and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary recommend watching marine mammals from a safe distance, with NOAA advising at least 100 yards, and avoiding interference with feeding behavior to protect both animals and people.
Photos and video from the Ocean Spirit trip are available via Sanctuary Cruises and in coverage published by SFGATE. The footage adds to growing documentation of active predator and prey dynamics in Monterey Bay this summer, and it is a reminder that the sanctuary's rich food supply can produce dramatic, sometimes brutal, wildlife moments.
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