iStockphoto / aymeric bein
A viral video filmed in San Diego shows orcas earning their ‘killer whales’ nickname by brutally hunting dolphins. The footage is a reminder that we as humans are very fortunate to have been born at the top of the food chain, for the most part.
Domenic Biagini goes by ‘Dolphin Drone Dom‘ on social media and he is the owner/operator of Gone Whale Watching based out of San Diego. He recently spoke with Pete Thomas of For The Win about witnessing this orcas feeding frenzy on a pod of dolphins three weeks ago.
This footage is hard for some to watch, myself included. Be forewarned. And it is a reminder that nature can be a harsh and unforgiving landscape on any given day.
In the YouTube description, Domenic wrote “the older whales try and teach the young whales how to participate, so while this may appear cruel, it is actually a vital teaching and bonding moment for the entire family!”
Teaching moment or not, I think most can admit that’s tough to watch. That said, it is worth watching, in my humble opinion, because it gives us a look into learned animal behavior that humans have been unable to observe for millennia until drones gave us the opportunity to film from above.
One thing that really stood out to me is the speed and agility of the orcas while hunting the dolphins. They’re built like massive footballs but can turn on a dime and display enormous bursts of speed.
Only semi-related, but it feels like orcas have been having their biggest summer since Free Willy was released in 1993. Between orcas attacking sailboats in Europe and Jim Irsay offering up millions to fly an orca cross country but refusing to spend on Jonathan Taylor, it’s been a big summer for killer whales.