Bigg's Killer Whales Hunt Common Dolphins in Outer Bay

Our trip aboard Ocean Spirit into the outer pelagic waters offered a focused observation of mammal-eating killer whales in action. For over an hour, we tracked the CA140Bs and CA50B—known groups of Bigg's transient killer whales—as they actively hunted common dolphins.

The encounter was a classic demonstration of coordinated hunting behavior. The killer whales worked systematically to isolate a smaller group of common dolphins from an enormous main herd estimated at fifteen hundred animals. Once separated from the safety of the dense pod, the dolphins were pursued in open water as the killer whales maintained continuous pressure.

With seven passengers aboard Ocean Spirit today, having the time and space to observe this natural predatory dynamic unfold provided a clear, detailed look into pelagic food web interactions.