iStockphoto / aymeric bein
A rare moment of two oceanic apex predators coming in close contact was caught on video two days ago when a drone filmed a pod of killer whales startling a large blue shark who took off in a hurry, seemingly wanting nothing to do with the whales that can weigh up to 8,800 pounds.
Evan Brodsky of the Monterey Bay Whale Watch captured the footage below and shared it with the Sacramento Bee. The clip shows the moment that the curious pod of killer whales noticed the blue shark, a species that can grow up to 13 feet, and the orcas appear to want to investigate the shark.
Meanwhile, the shark wanted nothing to do with the whales. The blue shark books it in a hurry. But what’s special about this video is it really illustrates how much the waters of Monterey Bay are teeming with life this time of year as whales migrate past the coast.
That killer whale-blue shark encounter was filmed on the 17th, according to SacBee. But the Monterey Bay Whale Watch shared this video on their Instagram page yesterday showing just how lively Monterey Bay is right now. The clip shows right whale dolphins, Pacific white sided dolphins, and humpback whales right off the coast:
Perhaps my favorite video from the Monterey Bay Whale Watch of the past season is this last one showing humpback whales feeding. Seeing the aerial view of these incredible creatures feeding looks like something out of a Sci-Fi film.
Orcas can typically be seen in Monterey Bay from January to May and then again from September to November as they travel up and down the coast. This is definitely a ‘peak’ time of the year to spot whales on that coast.