ORCAS VS KAYAKS: CURIOUS MAMMAL EATING KILLER WHALES CLOSE ENCOUNTER

Close encounter between mammal eating orcas and kayaks !
A few days ago a cruise ship landed at Sea Lion Island. 4 kayaks went into the water from the main boat. Orcas PUMA and sons were close by, patrolling as usual the beaches and rocks in search of elephant seals. All of a sudden, when kayaks were still at about 300/400 m away, PUMA suddenly left her newborn calf Micky and all the other ones and rushed towards the kayaks. From the air it appeared as a true chase. Once arrived at the kayaks she stopped under them and quickly left again, while the other arrived, turned under the kayaks as well and then left as well. Not sure how they perceived the kayaks, they were roughly same size as them, but at the beginning her behaviour was at least worrying. Mammal eating orcas probably has a prey search image not that different from a kayak silhouette. After the encounter the whole pod left the area; we don't know if this was as a consequence of the encounter or they would have left anyway.

[@1111MJR]

Just came here after watching two videos of them destroying elephant seals. Amazing.

[@williamgatewood4584]

1111MJR me too 👍🏾

[@leesmith6792]

I did the same thing! Fascinating and terrifying at the same time!

[@j-dubdmg1]

Same here

[@kickbackin9114]

Same lmao

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

I know...when you see what they can do with a prey, you don't want to be in the water with them...

[@sergarlantyrell7847]

The orca's like "I'm environmentally conscious, I don't eat anything that comes in non-recyclable plastic packaging."

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

Ah ah ah it' so true !!! :-)

[@usakousa]

So funny to watch the mother suddenly rushing to go and check the kayakers out, then slowing down when she realised it wasn't food.

[@MentLeee]

Damn, they pulled up lol

[@JohnWickkkk]

I would have a freaking panic attack in the middle of the ocean 🤷‍♂️

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

Me too :-)

[@falcosparverius1]

I'm glad this pod wants nothing to do with us, for them humans can be dangerously unpredictable. The Crozet island orcas did not fair too well, when they competed with the Patagonian toothfish fishery.

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

I know ! While filming I was convinced they would have least "touched" the kayaks...

[@paddlefar9175]

@@ElephantSealResearchGroup Were the group of kayakers from a research team?

[@skerhnekia5762]

Amazing

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

Thanks

[@Siberian_valenok]

Always been curious why the orcas don't attack and prey on humans.

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

Not sure, but probably they simply are not used to humans, so they are not in their eating "list". But I always think I would not swim with these mammal eating orcas, they might simply try me by mistake to then realize they don't like me ;-)

[@mattcollier7166]

You can't tell me they didn't just swim up on them to check if they were food for them.

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

I'm convinced they went to check what it was, either food or danger... and then decided it was not food but it was better to eventually leave...

[@hereallyfast]

They're freaking moving

[@tr_g]

That first orca ( probably mother as calf was swimming with her) must heard the noise that resembles of the sea lions movements on the shore. And the other two orcas heard the same sound and moved quickly (while da litl van was following as fast as he/she could) but then mother and the rest have realised what sound came from those skinny humans full of bones with small livers that are usually filled with junk food including alcohol ... not worth spending the energy to attack and eat this.

[@ElephantSealResearchGroup]

Yes, the first orca is the mother, PUMA. We think she felt something strange and went checking, but then decided it was not worth ! ;-)