‘Incredible’ orca invasion awes boaters as four whale pods swarm California bay

Whale-watchers on Monterey Bay in California got a treat as four separate pods of killer whales visited the area, photos and video show.

“Incredible!! Killer whales all over the bay,” read a Monterey Bay Whale Watch post on Facebook with a video of the frolicking orcas from Friday, Sept. 27.

An earlier post shows photos of the whales splashing in the ocean, including a newborn calf with one of the pods.

Three of the four pods, or families, were identified with the help of the California Killer Whale Project, whale-watchers said.

The new calf appeared to have been born in the past nine days to Aurora, already the mother of four offspring, Colleen Talty with Monterey Bay Whale Watch told McClatchy News.

Other pods spent some of their time in the bay hunting sea lions, Talty said.

Orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family, according to the World Wildlife Fund. They can reach up to 32 feet and more than 12,000 pounds.

Orcas can live up to 90 years and are a top predator. They feed mainly on marine mammals and fish, along with seabirds and marine turtles.

Monterey is about a 125-mile drive south from San Francisco.

This story was originally published September 30, 2024 at 8:56 AM with the headline "‘Incredible’ orca invasion awes boaters as four whale pods swarm California bay."