Roca Redonda, Northern Isabela Island
7:15 Expedition Leader, Lynn Fowler spots a pod of orcas, and the Polaris begins to approach them. There were 6 or 7 orcas (Orcinus orca), and two short finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). The pilot whales are being chased! At about 7:30 they are completely surrounded by the orcas. One pilot whale escapes.
7:30 The attack begins. There are two male orcas that do most of the attacking. They push the pilot whale; they seem to bite it. Wedge-rumped storm petrels and a few frigates arrive at the scene. The other orcas remain around the ones doing the assault. There is a group of four that stay together; two of them appear to be smaller and probably younger whales.
8:40 The pilot whale shows the first scars on the head, but still breathes normally and seems strong. More magnificent frigatebirds arrive. Hundreds of storm petrels, three or four swallow-tail gulls and three dark-rumped petrels fly over the area. The orcas take turns on the attack.
10:15 The spout of the pilot whale looks very “oily”. The whales attack continuously. There are only five orcas now in the area. We think the pilot whale has died, but it comes back to the surface to breathe. The orcas push the pilot whale down, sometimes they lift it and sometimes they keep it upside down (they maybe biting it from below?).
10:25 Pilot’s left pectoral fin and belly are wounded. A musty odor of “petrel”, oil and blood wafts to us on the ship. Frigates are picking up tidbits from the ocean. We can see blood in the spout of the pilot whale. The 2 male orcas continue to attack. They make a “sandwich” with the pilot in the center; this is the climax of their attack.
10:42 The smaller orcas appear again and harass the pilot whale. The pilot escapes, but in a few minutes is surrounded again. The orcas take turns rushing at the pilot whale; even the smaller animals are attacking.
11:15 For about four minutes there is no spout from the pilot whale which floats upside-down in the water. Then it seems to recover again, and dashes ahead only to be immediately captured again. The orcas are tail lobbing.
11:40 Pilot whale completely disappears, probably driven down by the orcas. They must be taking turns feeding, but they are diving and completely out of view. They remain underwater for several minutes then return to the surface to breath.
11:50 We leave the area. The orcas seem to be feeding underwater, and there is no longer any sight of the pilot whale at all.
It would be senseless to try to describe the feelings that we experienced as we watched these magnificent mammals in their natural world. There aren’t words that portray what we had the privilege to witness today.
7:15 Expedition Leader, Lynn Fowler spots a pod of orcas, and the Polaris begins to approach them. There were 6 or 7 orcas (Orcinus orca), and two short finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). The pilot whales are being chased! At about 7:30 they are completely surrounded by the orcas. One pilot whale escapes.
7:30 The attack begins. There are two male orcas that do most of the attacking. They push the pilot whale; they seem to bite it. Wedge-rumped storm petrels and a few frigates arrive at the scene. The other orcas remain around the ones doing the assault. There is a group of four that stay together; two of them appear to be smaller and probably younger whales.
8:40 The pilot whale shows the first scars on the head, but still breathes normally and seems strong. More magnificent frigatebirds arrive. Hundreds of storm petrels, three or four swallow-tail gulls and three dark-rumped petrels fly over the area. The orcas take turns on the attack.
10:15 The spout of the pilot whale looks very “oily”. The whales attack continuously. There are only five orcas now in the area. We think the pilot whale has died, but it comes back to the surface to breathe. The orcas push the pilot whale down, sometimes they lift it and sometimes they keep it upside down (they maybe biting it from below?).
10:25 Pilot’s left pectoral fin and belly are wounded. A musty odor of “petrel”, oil and blood wafts to us on the ship. Frigates are picking up tidbits from the ocean. We can see blood in the spout of the pilot whale. The 2 male orcas continue to attack. They make a “sandwich” with the pilot in the center; this is the climax of their attack.
10:42 The smaller orcas appear again and harass the pilot whale. The pilot escapes, but in a few minutes is surrounded again. The orcas take turns rushing at the pilot whale; even the smaller animals are attacking.
11:15 For about four minutes there is no spout from the pilot whale which floats upside-down in the water. Then it seems to recover again, and dashes ahead only to be immediately captured again. The orcas are tail lobbing.
11:40 Pilot whale completely disappears, probably driven down by the orcas. They must be taking turns feeding, but they are diving and completely out of view. They remain underwater for several minutes then return to the surface to breath.
11:50 We leave the area. The orcas seem to be feeding underwater, and there is no longer any sight of the pilot whale at all.
It would be senseless to try to describe the feelings that we experienced as we watched these magnificent mammals in their natural world. There aren’t words that portray what we had the privilege to witness today.
