Killer Whales Revealed Feeding on a Shark

STATES CHRONICLE – A drone surprised some shocking images of two killer whales feeding on a shark. Two female adult whales together with their two babies caught and killed a shark in California’s Monterey Bay. Researchers were amazed to catch a glimpse of these amazing animals since killer whales are extremely rare, often named the offshore killer whales. What is even more extraordinary, it’s that it is even rarer to surprise them eating.

On December 13, Moore was aboard the SeaWolfe II together with the whale tour company known as Monterey Bay Whale Watch when they have spotted the killer whales feeding. Moore decided to fly a drone over to the spot where the whales were located to catch a closer look at their prey. Katlyn Taylor, who is a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, argued that the drone captured a footage showing how one of the whales lifted the whole shark up while it was still alive.

She also claimed that a living shark is a very exquisite and rare meal for a baby killer whale. Taylor claimed that she believed the shark was one of the seven gill species which usually lives in the waters of Monterey Bay. These sea animals can reach about ten feet long, though the one that was caught by the whales was only five feet long, being bigger than the baby whales.

Experts argued that it is tough to see offshore killer whales feeding because they usually eat sharks, squids, and fish, meaning that they catch their prey underwater where they cannot even be spotted. It was not new for scientists that this species of whales eats sharks. Sometimes, when the carcass of killer whales reaches ashore, they have shark bites on their bodies. What is more, their teeth are damaged due to chewing the skin of sharks which is characterized as sand-papery.

The killer whale makes an appearance about once a year in Monterey Bay. Scientists did not yet discover where these animals spend the rest of their time. What is well-known by specialists, it’s that these whales were spotted from southern California all the way to Alaska.

The killer whales which are more likely to be located in Monterey Bay are known as transient killer whales which regularly feed on other mammals. These two different types were not categorized as being different species, but there is a chance that they could become so.

Image courtesy of: wikipedia