07-18-2013: The Incredible Breaching Orca

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This lively male orca breached about 15+ times. Just remarkable. Photo: Chase Dekker, 07-18-2013.

After nice looks at a couple of southern sea otters and a mola, we kept heading west hoping to stumble across a cetacean or two. Then we had a report of a single male orca about three miles from our position. So we made a course and put the hammer down.

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Here he is again, randomly launching. Photo: Chase Dekker, 07-18-2013.

It didn’t take long before we could see the unmistakable, tall black dorsal fin of the mighty orca.

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The chronic tail lobber. This animal just didn’t stop. Tail lobbing, breaching, surfacing. Photo: Chase Dekker, 07-18-2013.

This was one an epic encounter. Let me tell you. This animal was consistently active for about two hours. And it was large. 25′-30′ long. It didn’t stop tail lobbing and breaching the whole time. Just when we thought it was over, the animal would launch up and come completely out of the water. It was shock and awe every time. Just incredible.

Before we got on the scene there were reports that the beast had been feeding on a carcass of some sort. The orcas often get playful and acrobatic after a kill. And that attracts the black-footed albatross.

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Black-footed albatross attracted to a recent orca predation event. Photo: Chase Dekker, 07-18-2013.
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Black-footed albatross taking off. Photo: Chase Dekker, 07-18-2013.

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