Hunting Orcas and Intervening Humpback Whales off Moss Landing

Our morning trip aboard Ocean Spirit ran into a light chop off the Moss Landing area, where we came upon a remarkable multi-species interaction. Three killer whales were moving actively through the area, hunting among a dispersed group of roughly two hundred California sea lions, while several of the ten humpback whales present actively trailed the predators.

The humpbacks repeatedly closed distance on the orcas while producing resonant trumpet blows at the surface. This acoustic behavior is well-documented during competitive interactions, often signaling high agitation when humpbacks move to disrupt killer whale hunts. The orcas continued to maneuver through the area, pressing sea lions while also directing surface energy toward the local seabirds.

Intriguingly, the younger orcas in the group spent time swatting common murres with their flukes, leaving several dead birds drifting in their wake. This kind of tail-slapping behavior directed at non-target prey species is frequently seen in juvenile killer whales, likely serving as motor skill practice or object play during the broader hunt.

Around one hundred common murres, one hundred Brandt’s cormorants, and fifty brown pelicans lingered in the surrounding slick, tracking the commotion. Documenting direct encounters between hunting killer whales and intervening humpbacks provides valuable insight into the complex behavioral ecology that plays out over the Monterey Submarine Canyon.