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There’s usually not much an animal can do to escape if an orca has decided it will serve as a suitable meal. However, one seal was able to outwit the killer whales that targeted it off the coast of Seattle by climbing aboard the boat of a nature photographer who chronicled its lucky escape.
Orcas firmly sit at the top of the food chain in the world’s oceans, as the apex predators don’t have any natural enemies and aren’t afraid to go after great white sharks for the sole purpose of harvesting their livers.
Those massive mammals have plenty of options when it comes to chowing down on other aquatic creatures. Their diet can vary based on the region they call home, but consists of common prey like fish and squid as well as seals, sea lions, birds, and even other whales.
The “resident “orcas that have set up shop in the Pacific Northwest primarily subsist on Chinook salmon, but there are also plenty of pinnipeds they can target if they’re looking for something a bit more substantial.
One pod recently pursued a harbor seal off the coast of Seattle, but it lived to swim another day thanks to a photographer who was in the right place at the right time.
A seal managed to avoid death by orca by hopping aboard a boat in the waters off Washington state
Earlier this month, a wildlife photographer named Charvet Drucker hopped on a rented boat and traveled approximately 40 miles northwest of Seattle in the hopes of capturing some action on the Salish Sea.
According to CBS News, she appeared to get her wish after encountering a pod of eight orcas that were pursuing a seal, but things took an unexpected turn when their prey sought refuge on the stern of the 20-foot center console.
That development did not go unnoticed by the orcas, as Drucker filmed them circling the vessel and told the outlet they engaged in strategic diving known as “wave washing” in an attempt to rock the boat and force the seal back into the water.
They spent approximately 15 minutes futilely attempting to dislodge their target before abandoning the pursuit, and the seal hitched a ride closer to shore before heading back into the ocean.
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