Monterey Bay

Drone Footage Captures Killer Whales Feasting in Monterey Bay

Killer whales are famous for their violent attacks and relentless feeding practices

A rare sighting in the animal kingdom continues to mesmerize marine biologists and whale watchers in the Monterey Bay.

For the fourth day in a row, whale watchers on Sunday spotted an abnormally large pod of killer whales feasting on the carcasses of two gray whales, according to Nancy Black from Monterey Bay Whale Watch.

Killer whales are famous for their violent attacks and relentless feeding practices, but to see this type of behavior and this amount of mammal-eating creatures just off the coast of Monterey is "pretty rare," Black said.

"This won't happen everyday," she said.

The first gray whale's carcass was originally discovered last Thursday followed by another carcass appearing Friday, according to Black.

Ever since Thursday, throngs of killer whale mothers and calves have taken turns taking bites out of the dead whales' blubber.

An array of whale species typically migrate to Monterey Bay during the spring months for feeding season, according to Black. Killer whales tend to hunt in groups of six to ten, but Black said the group this year is a "very large number."

Not to be outdone, Humpback whales also joined the mix. Black said Humpback whales tend to barge into the fold when killer whales feed, though it's not entirely clear why. 

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