‘Water was sent flying:’ Boaters observe ‘phenomenal’ orca hunt, photos show

Boaters off Australia recently caught a glimpse of apex predators in action — in a scene straight out of a nature documentary.

At a close distance, they observed numerous orcas chasing down a young blue whale, that after putting up a brave fight, ultimately succumbed to the onslaught. It was described as “a once in a lifetime experience.”

The “phenomenal” incident took place off Bremer Bay, a town located near Perth, on April 7, according to a news release from Whale Watch Western Australia, a tour boat company.

During the afternoon, boaters noticed four families of orcas, also known as killer whales, lurking near the surface.

Then, suddenly, there was a flurry of action “and white water was sent flying,” the release said. “The hunt was on!”

Scrambling to figure out what was going on, the boaters eventually determined the orcas’ target: a nearby blue whale, which appeared to be barely a year old.

The black-and-white predators were then seen swarming the whale, attempting to push it below the surface and deprive it of oxygen.

Photos taken at the scene captured the chaos of the moment. In one image, the prey can be seen thrashing around in frothy water, tinged red by blood, as seabirds flew in for a piece of the action.

“We knew that with no experience and limited strength it would be incredibly difficult to make an escape,” the release said.

Still, the young whale tried to “power forward,” but it slowly grew weaker, making every attempt to surface more burdensome.

Soon, the killer whales “made the final push downwards,” resulting in success. The pack of marine mammals eventually surfaced with mouthfuls of food.

“Our hearts are always torn during these hunts as we spend much time with both species and have respect and love for them both,” the release said. “But today it was orca(s’) day.”

This story was originally published April 9, 2025 at 5:44 PM with the headline "‘Water was sent flying:’ Boaters observe ‘phenomenal’ orca hunt, photos show."