A noisy struggle between two species of whales in the "Pacific" ocean (video)
The Pacific Whale Watching Society spotted a strange event in the Salish Sea yesterday, a battle between a group of orcas and two humpback whales.
According to the association, whale watchers were making their way in the Salish Sea in the northwest of the United States near its border with Canada, when their leader saw the group of whales.
At first, observers noticed what they thought were about 15 orcas swimming near the surface, but soon after it became clear that two humpback whales were at the center of the battle.
Association officials said the battle, which included tail slaps, maneuvers and loud noises, lasted about 3 hours, before the giant animals disappeared into the mist.
"I was trying to get my head around it because it was absolutely incredible," said Molly Nakarato, a naturalist who was one of the people who spotted the event.
According to experts, orcas feed mainly on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions and dolphins, and sometimes hunt for larger prey, but catching full-grown humpback whales is rare.
The association has not documented fatal orcas attacks on humpback whales in the Salish Sea, but as numbers of both species increase in the region, it is believed that such conflicts could become more common.
Whale fight đ!
Video shows an hours-long fight in Washington's Salish Sea between a large group of transient orcas and a pair of humpback whales: https://t.co/ZQc3PF8TWT pic.twitter.com/6zGwxSzhE5
â FOX Weather (@foxweather) October 3, 2022
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