Latest news with #Bigg
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Killer whale becomes mom for first time. See her ‘little pumpkin' swim off Washington
A killer whale has become a first-time mom after a peachy-orange calf was spotted swimming with her off Washington, a whale watching group said. The baby orca was discovered March 20 in the Salish Sea between Port Townsend and the San Juan Islands, the Pacific Whale Watch Association said in a March 25 news release. It was swimming alongside its mother, T046B3 'Sedna,' and more than a dozen other Bigg's killer whales that day, the group said. It has been seen several more times since then. 'We encountered this little pumpkin on our Saturday adventure,' Island Adventures Whale Watching said in a March 24 Facebook post. Photos show the calf's orange coloring and fetal folds from being inside its mother's womb, the group said. 'These factors are normal and indicate the calf is quite young, likely a week or two at most,' said Erin Gless, the whale group's executive director. Instead of the classic white, calves are born with a peachy-orange color because they have a thinner blubber layer, so the blood vessels are closer to the skin's surface, according to the Center for Whale Research. This would be Sedna's first known calf, the group said. She's 14 years old, and her name means 'mother of the sea' in Inuktitut, an indigenous language spoken in the Canadian Arctic. West Coast Bigg's killer whales — also called Transients — are apex predators that live off the Pacific Coast, according to the Georgia Strait Alliance. They hunt marine mammals and are known for their 'dramatic hunting soirees,' the environmental organization said. These creatures eat sea lions, porpoises and other whales. There are about 400 Bigg's killer whales swimming off the Pacific Coast that travel from northern California to Alaska and are commonly seen in the Salish Sea. Unlike the endangered Southern Resident killer whales, these whales are listed as threatened under the Species at Risk Act, and their numbers are growing. Feeling stressed? Watch these massive sea creatures swim in harmony off California coast Orcas seen hunting 'prickly' species for the first time, study says. 'Groundbreaking' 'Gentle giant' rarely seen in Southern California waters stuns boaters. See video
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New calf born to descendant of last orca captured in Washington waters
Good news for the orca population on the west coast! The Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) announced that a new Bigg's orca calf has been spotted in the Salish Sea. The calf was first seen as part of a group of more than a dozen orcas on March 20 between Port Townsend and the San Juan Islands. It was subsequently resighted several times over the weekend, the PWWA said. A reminder that Bigg's orcas are transient whales that hunt other mammals, like seals, sea lions and porpoises. Their population is about 400. The southern resident orcas, which consists of three pods, are the ones that eat only Chinook salmon, but some studies show they have been known to eat other types of salmon. Their population is about 73. While the southern residents have been struggling with its population in the last decade or so, PWWA said the Bigg's killer whales are having a baby boom. Bigg's orca 'Sedna' (T046B3) was seen swimming alongside what is believed to be her calf. This is 14-year-old Sedna's first known calf. 'In the images, you can still see fetal folds, along with distinctive orange coloration,' shares Erin Gless, the PWWA's executive director, referring to creases in the calf's skin as a result of being scrunched inside its mother's belly. 'These factors are normal and indicate the calf is quite young, likely a week or two at most.' Sedna is part of a well-known family of orcas. In 1976, her grandmother, 'Wake' (T046) was one of six whales captured in the Budd Inlet and held by Sea World. This capture was on the heels of a time when orcas were rounded up, captured and sent to aqua parks like Sea World and the Miami Seaquarium. The most famous of these captures was in August 1970, where over 80 orcas were rounded up in Penn Cove for captivity. Ralph Munro, assistant to then-Governor Dan Evans, witnessed the captures while sailing with friends and was appalled. Munro helped file a lawsuit against Sea World, leading to the whales' release. Wake's group were the last killer whales to be captured in U.S. waters. Wake is responsible for eight assumed calves, 16 grand-calves, and six great grand-calves. 'Without the direct efforts of Ralph Munro, at least 30 Bigg's killer whales would have never been born,' PWWA said. Munro died at the age of 81, just last week.
CBS News
04-03-2025
- General
- CBS News
Killer whales caught on video in rarely seen bird hunt off Seattle: "Once-in-a-lifetime experience"
A pod of orcas swam close to shore and amazed onlookers in Seattle by treating the whale watchers to the rare sight of the apex predators hunting a bird. And the unusual spectacle was all caught in video. The pod of Bigg's killer whales visited Elliott Bay and were seemingly on a hunt underwater just off Seattle's maritime industrial docks. The pod exited the bay close to the West Seattle neighborhood across from downtown, where people were waiting to catch sight of them. Kersti Muul, who runs a WhatsApp whale alert system for the Seattle area called "Salish Wildlife Watch," recorded footage as the whales appeared just below a lookout point. One of the whales was seen grabbing a bird—a grebe—before pulling it underwater, prompting gasps from the crowd, CBS affiliate KIRO-TV reported. One of the whales was seen capturing a bird and taking it below water, sparking gasps from onlookers. It was "a once-in-a-lifetime experience for West Seattle. Not only in the whales' proximity, but also witnessing a rarely seen behavior - chasing and catching the grebe," Muul said in a text. "My eyes darted back and forth taking in the community's reactions and the orcas right below our feet, visible underwater." Bigg's killer whales are orcas that usually prey on marine mammals such as sea lions or porpoises. According to NOAA, Bigg's killer whales depart from the behaviors of other orcas that are traditionally part of either "resident" or offshore populations. They visit the waters off Seattle occasionally and both dedicated and casual whale watchers shadow them as they explore. The pod sighted Sunday has ventured into the Seattle waters several times over the past month. "It's definitely a bonding experience for the community," Muul said. "And my hope is always that these moments inspire awe and awareness of the urban wildlife in our backyards." In recent years, boaters in Europe have reported several instances of orcas ramming into their vessels in a pattern that baffled many marine experts. Sailors said they resorted to everything from throwing sand in the water to setting off fireworks to blasting thrash metal music in efforts to ward off the encroaching predators.
Arab Times
04-03-2025
- General
- Arab Times
Killer whales amaze onlookers with a rarely seen bird hunt
SEATTLE, March 4, (AP): A pod of orcas swam close to shore and amazed onlookers in Seattle by treating the whale watchers to the rare sight of the apex predators hunting a bird. The pod of Bigg's killer whales visited Elliott Bay and were seemingly on a hunt underwater just off Seattle's maritime industrial docks. The pod exited the bay close to the West Seattle neighborhood across from downtown, where people were waiting to catch sight of them. Kersti Muul, who runs a WhatsApp whale alert system for the Seattle area called " Salish Wildlife Watch,' recorded footage as the whales appeared just below a lookout point. One of the whales was seen capturing a bird and taking it below water, sparking gasps from onlookers. It was "a once-in-a-lifetime experience for West Seattle. Not only in the whales' proximity, but also witnessing a rarely seen behavior - chasing and catching the grebe," Muul said in a text. "My eyes darted back and forth taking in the community's reactions and the orcas right below our feet, visible underwater.' Bigg's killer whales are orcas that usually prey on marine mammals such as sea lions or porpoises. They visit the waters off Seattle occasionally and both dedicated and casual whale watchers shadow them as they explore. The pod sighted Sunday has ventured into the Seattle waters several times this past month. "It's definitely a bonding experience for the community,' Muul said. "And my hope is always that these moments inspire awe and awareness of the urban wildlife in our backyards.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
04-03-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Killer Whales Amaze Seattle Onlookers with a Rarely Seen Bird Hunt
A pod of orcas swam close to shore and amazed onlookers in Seattle by treating the whale watchers to the rare sight of the apex predators hunting a bird. The pod of Bigg's killer whales visited Elliott Bay and were seemingly on a hunt underwater just off Seattle's maritime industrial docks. The pod exited the bay close to the West Seattle neighborhood across from downtown, where people were waiting to catch sight of them. Kersti Muul, who runs a WhatsApp whale alert system for the Seattle area called "Salish Wildlife Watch," recorded footage as the whales appeared just below a lookout point. One of the whales was seen capturing a bird and taking it below water, sparking gasps from onlookers. It was "a once-in-a-lifetime experience for West Seattle. Not only in the whales' proximity, but also witnessing a rarely seen behavior - chasing and catching the grebe," Muul said in a text. "My eyes darted back and forth taking in the community's reactions and the orcas right below our feet, visible underwater." Bigg's killer whales are orcas that usually prey on marine mammals such as sea lions or porpoises. They visit the waters off Seattle occasionally and both dedicated and casual whale watchers shadow them as they explore. The pod sighted Sunday has ventured into the Seattle waters several times over the past month. "It's definitely a bonding experience for the community," Muul said. "And my hope is always that these moments inspire awe and awareness of the urban wildlife in our backyards."
