A wildlife photographer recently had an exciting experience while on a whale-watching trip just off the Seattle coast. She managed to capture stunning video and photos of a group of killer whales, known as orcas, that were hunting a seal. The seal, rather impressively, evaded the predators by climbing onto the back of a boat.
Charvette Drucker was out on a rented 20-foot vessel in the Salish Sea, situated about 40 miles northwest of Seattle, when she noticed at least eight orcas in the area. Their synchronized movements and slapping of their tails indicated they were on the hunt. After zooming in with her camera, Drucker spotted a harbor seal desperately trying to escape, and one of her shots even showed the seal airborne above the bubbling orcas. At that moment, she thought the seal might be done for.
As the orcas got closer to the boat, Drucker and her companions realized that the chase was still on. Following wildlife boating regulations, which necessitate turning off the engine to avoid disturbing the whales, the group watched as the seal scrambled out of the water and onto a swimming platform at the stern, almost like claiming a makeshift lifeboat.
While regulations also prohibited them from interfering with the seal, Drucker began filming the scene. She could be heard expressing sympathy for the seal, saying things like, “Poor girl” and “It’s okay. Stay where you are, buddy.”
The orcas, undeterred, continued to try and dislodge the seal by shaking the boat, creating waves as they lined up and dove in a staggered manner. This behavior has been noted by scientists as “wave washing,” a tactic they’ve observed since at least the 1980s, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The seal on Drucker’s boat had a few slips but managed to stay put until the orcas finally swam away about 15 minutes later. Interestingly, Drucker mentioned that she’d previously photographed seals in the mouths of killer whales and described how the orcas usually appear satisfied after a successful hunt.
In a candid moment, she reflected, “I’m definitely Team Orca all day, every day, but once that seal gets on the boat, I kind of become Team Seal,” during an interview with the Associated Press.
The orcas that hunt seals and other marine animals in that region are often referred to as big or transient killer whales. They tend to have a more varied diet compared to other populations, like the “resident” killer whales, who specialize in salmon and are on the endangered species list, as per NOAA.
