Sea creatures seen hunting sea lions off California coast. See the ‘astounding’ photos
.jpg "A group of sea creatures were seen hunting in California, onlookers said.")
Onlookers got the chance to see sea creatures hunt sea lions in California, described as an “astounding” moment.
Watchers were in the bay Nov. 24 when they saw three killer whale pods, according to a Facebook post by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch.
During the encounter, viewers got to see the strategic hunting of a sea lion with one of the whales emerging from the water with a “small chunk of the carcass in their mouth,” the company said.
Killer whales are known to be the ocean’s top predator, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The highly social animal usually travels in pods of a few to 20 or more, NOAA said.
Later, the group saw another pod of whales that hunted several sea lions before they got there, officials said.
As the group continued farther, they saw a “special” whale known as “Frosty,” along with its mom, the post said.
Frosty has either leucism or Chediak-Higashi syndrome, which caused it to have a “unique coloration,” the company said.
The group was also able to see 30 humpback whales along with 13 orcas during the experience, the Facebook post said.
Monterey is about a 120-mile drive southeast of San Francisco.
This story was originally published November 25, 2024 at 3:06 PM with the headline "Sea creatures seen hunting sea lions off California coast. See the ‘astounding’ photos."