I wonder why gray whales tend to swim solo or just mother and her baby. Other whales like sperm whales swim in groups which means a higher chance of survival against a pod of orcas.
Well, orcas only travel in pods because they're extremely social and reliant on each other. For instance, children often stay with their mothers for life. They're thought to have their own pod languages/dialects and everything. Humpbacks and blue wales, along with gray whales, are social, but not to the same degree as the orca, so they tend to swim solo. Babies eventually leave their moms. These whales often only swim in large groups during migration, when a lot of them are going int the same direction.
Even pods of sperm whales get successfully preyed upon by hunting orcas. They wait for the pod to dive into the depths to feed while mothers with calves must remain in the surface unprotected. That's when they'll attack.
5:09 if you look to the right of the screen as whale raises its tail it appears to be injured with some cuts to the tail and some blood. You gotta look closely.
You gotta look closely? Appears to be injured? Are we watching the same video? Because I saw nothing but biting and blood. Like at 2:02 and that's only a couple of minutes into the long video.
Yes, breathing is a good point. But it looks so vulnerable just flapping its big tail every time an orca bites a chunk out of it. It needs an escape plan like, "down periscope and just bloody dive!" @@RedSquirrelHunter
Gray whales are extremely slow. The average person runs faster than a gray whale swims. The orcas are fast, and can also just dive with it. The only thing a gray whale can do is use its size advantage to try to ward of the orcas.
That grey whale was lucky that it was just one Orca doing all the damage to it's tale, if it was a whole Orca pods i don't think the grey whale could've survibed their attck .. Orcas are really incredible.
The persistence of the Killer Whale attack on the Pacific Gray Whale usually plays out beyond view. In this case, the Pacific Gray Whale was able to deter its attacker. A concerted attack by a pod of Orcas on a newborn calf can have a different ending. The "Killer Whale" moniker is well-deserved.
Can't tell if the Gray whale is even a full-grown adult...never thought Orca attacked full grown. They really are gentle giants, they're bigger than the Orcas and yet wouldn't turn around and head bunt ram.
We have limitations, too. It appears this was a case of the whales getting closer to a whale watching tour boat. I think it’s 200 yds and maintain 400 yds from their course. 1000 yd distance now for Southern Resident orcas. Boaters are instructed to kill engines to prevent prop strike if it’s safe to do so. Even lowering sails last I heard.
Yeah after a while if a hunt proves to be more costly energy-wise the orcas will give up and search for easier prey. Teeth marks on adult humpack and gray whale flukes and flippers are testament that adults tend to survive orca predation attacks. Harder to take on a massive adult who knows how to throw its weight around defensively (flukes)...
I witnessed the same thing happening off the cliffs of Santa Cruz Island only difference was that there was a calf being attacked. I saw twenty whales that day but only (hopefully) two magnificent gray whales.
tail slashing also useless against the orca..i think the gray whale should use breaching as its own attack...i think the most powerful whale that can fight orcas is humpback whale..they have long flipper..
There is footage of a pod of orcas attacking a grey whale and calf off the coast of California and the 2 whales escape because the mother grey whale was able to get her calf in shallow water to keep the orcas from drowning it and the orcas give up after 3hrs of attack
Speed isn't really a factor. These gray whales are already extremely slow when they're completely healthy, while orcas are very fast, so they never outswim orcas anyway. As humans, we run faster than gray whales swim. Sometimes these extremely large prey are just too formidable/take too long to die, and the orcas do just give up. It's not like when they go after seals and penguins, and 1-2 bites is all it takes. It takes a long time to kill these huge whales, and sometimes these orcas have bitten off more than they can chew.
Orcas own the seas, i find it too cruel to watch them kill, they go around killing dolphins for sport, spend hours to exhaust and drown whales just to eat the tongue, they even kill baby whales as the mother tries to protect them, eat the tongues and leave the dead baby whale with heartbroken mother. They can be very cruel creatures.
Agreed it can appear cruel to us. But that sport is training. Bigg’s killers are predatory packs, no less than wolves or coyotes, or lions etc. Their survival depends on their training and lessons. I wonder if our Southern Resident Salish orcas will adapt to hunting mammals before it’s too late for them… I hope they do. Different ecotypes entirely but we can hope for their sake.
@@MP77USA yes, you are absolutely correct, I think that because we live in the safety of well organised societies we forget the fight for survival going on all around us and it can seem very cruel to us when in fact that is life, the struggle to survive.
When you’re starving, you won’t care how big your meal is…. It’s bit like they can choose a snack instead . The whole wale would have been consumed eventually. So don’t worry!
Confidence in numbers. They don't attack prey like large whales and great whites alone. Also, they may consider these easier targets because they're so large, slow, and docile. They have a very limited ability to defend themselves.
I wonder why gray whales tend to swim solo or just mother and her baby. Other whales like sperm whales swim in groups which means a higher chance of survival against a pod of orcas.
Well, orcas only travel in pods because they're extremely social and reliant on each other. For instance, children often stay with their mothers for life. They're thought to have their own pod languages/dialects and everything. Humpbacks and blue wales, along with gray whales, are social, but not to the same degree as the orca, so they tend to swim solo. Babies eventually leave their moms. These whales often only swim in large groups during migration, when a lot of them are going int the same direction.
Because, not all whales are smart like sperm whales.
Even pods of sperm whales get successfully preyed upon by hunting orcas. They wait for the pod to dive into the depths to feed while mothers with calves must remain in the surface unprotected. That's when they'll attack.
5:09 if you look to the right of the screen as whale raises its tail it appears to be injured with some cuts to the tail and some blood. You gotta look closely.
You gotta look closely? Appears to be injured? Are we watching the same video? Because I saw nothing but biting and blood. Like at 2:02 and that's only a couple of minutes into the long video.
so what is the strategy of the whale. Can it not dive to the very depths for safety? This Orca could go on antagonising it forever. Crazy. . .
Same way wolves hunt. Exhaust the prey and keep nipping at it to wound it trivially but at lower risk to the wolf itself.
Being close to the surface means it can still breathe and it cuts off half the directions it can be attacked from.
Yes, breathing is a good point. But it looks so vulnerable just flapping its big tail every time an orca bites a chunk out of it. It needs an escape plan like, "down periscope and just bloody dive!" @@RedSquirrelHunter
If you looks closely in some of the shots… there is an orca under the whale preventing it from diving while one bites the tail
Gray whales are extremely slow. The average person runs faster than a gray whale swims. The orcas are fast, and can also just dive with it. The only thing a gray whale can do is use its size advantage to try to ward of the orcas.
Was only one orca towards the end doing all the work...are these biggs orca CA or TA
so what happened in the end?
The Grey whale escaped in the end! Orcas are the lion prides of the seas!
Orca is like Wild dog, they can't fight one by fight.... they often fight in large group... while male lion sometime attack alone...
That grey whale was lucky that it was just one Orca doing all the damage to it's tale, if it was a whole Orca pods i don't think the grey whale could've survibed their attck .. Orcas are really incredible.
Much gratitude for posting the video! Where was this filmed? Appears to be La Jolla. California.
Palos verdes
The persistence of the Killer Whale attack on the Pacific Gray Whale usually plays out beyond view. In this case, the Pacific Gray Whale was able to deter its attacker. A concerted attack by a pod of Orcas on a newborn calf can have a different ending. The "Killer Whale" moniker is well-deserved.
I think the drone flying down initially swim off but then they came back
Can't tell if the Gray whale is even a full-grown adult...never thought Orca attacked full grown. They really are gentle giants, they're bigger than the Orcas and yet wouldn't turn around and head bunt ram.
Other posted earlier footage of this whale with a baby on its back being attacked. This is a full adult mom who just lost her calf
The body role of the Whale to keep them off its jaw,,,Amazing
Interesting that boats are allowed so close to whales there, in Australia they have to stay at least 300m away (less for dolphins).
We have limitations, too. It appears this was a case of the whales getting closer to a whale watching tour boat. I think it’s 200 yds and maintain 400 yds from their course. 1000 yd distance now for Southern Resident orcas. Boaters are instructed to kill engines to prevent prop strike if it’s safe to do so. Even lowering sails last I heard.
@@MP77USA good to know there are similar rules there
That gray whale has to be exhausted after that attack. His tail is a mess. 😥
These orca can eat other fish in the ocean. But instead they try to mess with other whales.
This footage is incredible!
Yeah after a while if a hunt proves to be more costly energy-wise the orcas will give up and search for easier prey. Teeth marks on adult humpack and gray whale flukes and flippers are testament that adults tend to survive orca predation attacks. Harder to take on a massive adult who knows how to throw its weight around defensively (flukes)...
單隻成鯨能存活下來取決於虎鯨群的大小，攻擊較大型獵物本來就是持久戰，虎鯨越多，車輪戰才能持久下去，這個鯨群太小，還有好幾隻小鯨要顧，要獵大型獵物還是有一定難度
I witnessed the same thing happening off the cliffs of Santa Cruz Island only difference was that there was a calf being attacked. I saw twenty whales that day but only (hopefully) two magnificent gray whales.
tail slashing also useless against the orca..i think the gray whale should use breaching as its own attack...i think the most powerful whale that can fight orcas is humpback whale..they have long flipper..
Is the first time I saw Gray whale escape!
There is footage of a pod of orcas attacking a grey whale and calf off the coast of California and the 2 whales escape because the mother grey whale was able to get her calf in shallow water to keep the orcas from drowning it and the orcas give up after 3hrs of attack
Whale injured and speed is slower. Usually orcas go back. I doubt this whale survived
Speed isn't really a factor. These gray whales are already extremely slow when they're completely healthy, while orcas are very fast, so they never outswim orcas anyway. As humans, we run faster than gray whales swim. Sometimes these extremely large prey are just too formidable/take too long to die, and the orcas do just give up. It's not like when they go after seals and penguins, and 1-2 bites is all it takes. It takes a long time to kill these huge whales, and sometimes these orcas have bitten off more than they can chew.
Orcas own the seas, i find it too cruel to watch them kill, they go around killing dolphins for sport, spend hours to exhaust and drown whales just to eat the tongue, they even kill baby whales as the mother tries to protect them, eat the tongues and leave the dead baby whale with heartbroken mother. They can be very cruel creatures.
Agreed it can appear cruel to us. But that sport is training. Bigg’s killers are predatory packs, no less than wolves or coyotes, or lions etc. Their survival depends on their training and lessons. I wonder if our Southern Resident Salish orcas will adapt to hunting mammals before it’s too late for them… I hope they do. Different ecotypes entirely but we can hope for their sake.
@@MP77USA yes, you are absolutely correct, I think that because we live in the safety of well organised societies we forget the fight for survival going on all around us and it can seem very cruel to us when in fact that is life, the struggle to survive.
@@MP77USA跟人類爲經濟獵鯨，獵到快滅絕，虎鯨只是在吃它的食物，也不是爲了鈔票，跟虎鯨比，人類殘忍甩虎鯨幾百條街
The circle of life. The orcas only eat portions of this huge whale. It wont go waisted. Other sea life will eat till they're stuffed.
Sea wolves I reckon
Wolfpack in action 😊
great footage!!!
What surprises me is why they attack such large prey. They can't possibly eat it completely
Probably just want to eat the tongue
When you’re starving, you won’t care how big your meal is…. It’s bit like they can choose a snack instead . The whole wale would have been consumed eventually. So don’t worry!
The orcas didn’t look to serious, this might have just been a training exercise for the younger orcas. Testing the water
Confidence in numbers. They don't attack prey like large whales and great whites alone. Also, they may consider these easier targets because they're so large, slow, and docile. They have a very limited ability to defend themselves.
I see only one killer whale ... amazing
Ya ampun orca menggigit sirip ekor paus, sampe brdarah darah
Thanks god the 🐋 defense they self to survive 🥹🥹🥹🙏
Damn😊
Jail them in Seaworld.
help please 😢