SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Experts believe Orcas may have been behind the wounds observed on a fin whale that washed ashore in Pacific Beach weeks ago, following a rare sighting of a group of killer whales along the Southern California coast.
The 52-foot-long female fin whale might have beached itself while trying to escape from an attack by killer whales, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Experts said they found some rake marks on the whale during initial investigation.
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Local whale watching expedition company, Gone Whale Watching, shared on Facebook videos of Orcas spotted along the San Diego coasts, hunting dolphins. The videos provide a rare glimpse into the behavior of these apex predators.
The Orcas were first sighted off Long Beach on the morning of Dec. 11, approximately 24 hours after the fin whale stranded on the beach, said Alisa Schulman-Janiger, the lead biologist for the California Killer Whale Project.
"It is very likely that the killer whales that attacked the fin whale were from the same group of up to 10 Orcas that were hunting dolphin off San Diego," she said.
The NOAA and marine experts are continuing to monitor the situation for further insights.
