Comments on: "Oh my God, it's orcas attacking sperm whales."

"Oh my God, it's orcas attacking sperm whales."

DiesIrae — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:26:17 -0800

On April 18, a half-dozen orcas battled a pod of sperm whales off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The unusual encounter is one of fewer than a dozen such recorded conflicts — and the first observed. "We saw the water churning on the horizon," said Heinrichs, a photographer and filmmaker who was in the area looking for blue whales. He and his colleagues steered their boat toward the patch of white water. As they got closer, they saw an enormous dorsal fin slicing through the water — a killer whale trademark — and then noticed the group of sperm whales, clustered together in a defensive stance. At that point, Heinrichs did what many of us would not do: He jumped in.

By: jaduncan

jaduncan — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:54:03 -0800

Luckily for him, his brass balls would be hard for an animal to digest.

By: hobo gitano de queretaro

hobo gitano de queretaro — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 03:36:56 -0800

In the year 2013, the oceans of Sri Lanka are engulfed in an endless internectine war... and only one man is willing to step up.

By: Faintdreams

Faintdreams — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 03:43:34 -0800

Uhm, so the Sperm Whales and Orcas were having a West-Side-Story-off, and he decided to get into the water with them? 0_o How was he not just squashed in the giant-sea-creature melee? Astounding.

By: ZaphodB

ZaphodB — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 03:51:23 -0800

Aw man killer whales (when did they become "orcas"?) are cool. They're like giant, malicious pandas of the sea. I'm a big fan.

By: The 10th Regiment of Foot

The 10th Regiment of Foot — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:21:16 -0800

Orcas: assholes of the sea

By: Paul Slade

Paul Slade — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:25:05 -0800

"The unusual encounter is one of fewer than a dozen such recorded conflicts — and the first observed." This suggests that as many as ten encounters have been recorded without being observed. How?

By: foleypt

foleypt — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:56:14 -0800

>This suggests that as many as ten encounters have been recorded without being observed. How? Perhaps from bite marks?

By: tommasz

tommasz — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:08:23 -0800

This is why I cringe every time I see an orca interacting with a human. It's just a matter of time...

By: PenDevil

PenDevil — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:11:31 -0800

Anyone who has seen those videos of Orcas sliding onto beaches to grab seals should realise that Shamu is really a cold blooded killer just biding his time to enact revenge on his human torturers.

By: Joe in Australia

Joe in Australia — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:11:53 -0800

No, no, they can tell the difference between sperm whales and seamen.

By: jetlagaddict

jetlagaddict — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:20:40 -0800

There are a couple of additional underwater video clips on Heinrich's own website. This guy has a pretty sweet job-- he's also the one behind the whale shark fashion shoot.

By: fight or flight

fight or flight — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:23:00 -0800

No, no, they can tell the difference between sperm whales and seamen. Eh, it all tastes the same to me.

By: xqwzts

xqwzts — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:31:45 -0800

This suggests that as many as ten encounters have been recorded without being observed. How?

the first observed in the Indian Ocean.

By: localroger

localroger — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:43:33 -0800

I don't understand how someone with brass balls that size doesn't sink straight to the bottom when they jump in the water.

By: Mario Speedwagon

Mario Speedwagon — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:52:21 -0800

when did they become "orcas"? Seems fairly fitting that Orcinus orca could be named orcas - "Killer whale" is and emotive and silly name.

By: Frowner

Frowner — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:09:30 -0800

I was kind of hoping that he jumped in on the side of the sperm whales. Not as some kind of neutral observer of nature's murderers attacking the gentle, hippie giants of the seas. Tsk.

By: Scientist

Scientist — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:26:35 -0800

localroger, divers wear bouyancy compensator vests that can be inflated/deflated on demand, to give them positive bouyancy. Also, wetsuits have a lot of air in the neoprene, so typically a fully-dressed diver actually has to wear a substantial quantity of lead weights to be able to sink at all. I imagine Heinrich just counts his balls as part of his weight belt.

By: Scientist

Scientist — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:30:32 -0800

By: elizardbits

elizardbits — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:31:40 -0800

Simmer down, Jonah.

By: Hactar

Hactar — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:38:36 -0800

Orcinus orca suggest belonging to the kingdom of the dead or being beholden to Orcus (the Roman god of the dead, not the D&D baddie). Killer whale is not a far stretch from "whales who answer to the god of the dead." Did the behavior of the sperm whales remind anyone else of the interactions between bison and wolves? It was weird to see enormous predators acting in the way that I usually think of prey acting.

By: KingEdRa

KingEdRa — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:39:03 -0800

Murder Dolphin vs. Battle Whale, only on Syfy!

By: helmutdog

helmutdog — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:43:53 -0800

Why all the anti-orca sentiment? They are hunting for food - and will eat what they kill. Would everyone feel less sad if they ate a great white shark? Welcome to nature people - it's not Disneyland.

By: gwildar

gwildar — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:47:18 -0800

Why don't Orcas attack humans? Seems odd that they'd leave us alone.

By: zamboni

zamboni — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:54:10 -0800

Human interaction with orcas reminds me of The Killer whales of Eden, who would herd baleen whales into Twofold Bay, alert the human whalers to their presence, and wait to receive their payment- the lips and tongues of the butchered whales.

By: Frowner

Frowner — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:19:55 -0800

Sperm whales are hardly "gentle, hippie giants of the sea." We are talking about the world's largest predator, an animal with teeth the size of your hand that dives thousands of feet into the inky depths to do battle with giant squid, its primary food source. That they are outmaneuvered in this case does not mean they are some kind of benevolent, mild-mannered sea beastie. Ah, you see, I was being silly. Although I do tend to like the big whales more than orcas, possibly because I am biased against deep sea squid. Perhaps I should have included some kind of "I am being light-hearted here" indicator rather than leaving it to read "I literally think that sperm whales are vegans who carry little anti-nuclear signs in their flippers".

By: the man of twists and turns

the man of twists and turns — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:21:04 -0800

Why don't Orcas attack humans? Seems odd that they'd leave us alone. When people disappear from the beaches of the Pac NW, it's often chalked up to sneaker waves. Certainly there are no large predators that could attack from the water. Peter Watts - Bulk Food(PDF)

Ramona smiles. "And despite what some people might think," she continues, "there's no such thing as a vegetarian orca."

By: Jaymzifer

Jaymzifer — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:23:07 -0800

That's an amazing story. Thanks zamboni!

By: aught

aught — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:32:31 -0800

Why don't Orcas attack humans? Seems odd that they'd leave us alone. FPP quote: "When I drifted away from the boat, the largest orca in the pod made a beeline for me but veered off at the last moment and dove deep." That detail makes one wonder whether orcas recognize humans and don't think we're worth the trouble of attacking, what with metal & rubber scuba gear, and spear guns, and -- depending on how good orcas' memories are -- the possibility of later retaliation from other humans. The way orcas go after seals it's clear they wouldn't turn down a human-sized snack. On preview of zamboni's link, it doesn't feel like such a stretch to think that orcas might even consider humans a fellow predator who's "on their side" in the pursuit of prey creatures of the sea rather than something to hunt.

By: TDavis

TDavis — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:43:02 -0800

"If killer whales lived on land, we'd be in trouble." Um, Yeah, I'll buy that.

By: nicodine

nicodine — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:53:48 -0800

This is nuts. Sperm whales are predators, and, at an average of 50 feet in length, are twice the length of the average orca. Transient orcas tend to be more aggressive and eat more mammals than their fish-eating Resident and Offshore cousins, but to hunt something twice their size?? My mind is boggled. I wonder why this happened.

By: KingEdRa

KingEdRa — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:56:49 -0800

I wonder why this happened. Sperm whales are dicks?

By: DigDoug

DigDoug — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:10:28 -0800

It's hyenas eating a lion... at sea, and at 10x zoom. Mother Nature is not always LOLCATS and "Awwww" pics. (But damn it, it should be)

By: aniola

aniola — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:27:37 -0800

I wonder if this sort of thing used to happen when there were more fish in the ocean.

By: marienbad

marienbad — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:27:59 -0800

CNN: Seal attacks dolphin.

By: mrgrimm

mrgrimm — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:10:47 -0800

It's hyenas eating a lion Eh? Seems more like dingos eating elephants too scared to realize they could stomp them.

By: elizardbits

elizardbits — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:18:22 -0800

When people disappear from the beaches of the Pac NW, it's often chalked up to sneaker waves. Oh my god, I thought those were called "sneaker waves" because of that weird thing where all those single sneakers were washing up on beaches all over the region. Like, it's a wave that snatches people and sends back their sneakers. IDK IT SEEMED LOGICAL. i not winnar

By: Atom Eyes

Atom Eyes — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:31:52 -0800

To learn more about sperm whales, consult your local library. Or...

By: invitapriore

invitapriore — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:35:26 -0800

Why all the anti-orca sentiment? They are hunting for food - and will eat what they kill. Would everyone feel less sad if they ate a great white shark? Welcome to nature people - it's not Disneyland. From Wikipedia:

Often, to avoid injury, killer whales disable their prey before killing and eating it. This may involve throwing it in the air, slapping it with their tails, ramming it, or breaching and landing on it.

Orcas probably have good reasons for all that but from a human perspective throwing your prey all around before you eat it looks a whole hell of a lot like torture. There's a reason "Jerk of the sea"* used to redirect to the orca page on Wikipedia. Don't make the same mistake I did by googling that phrase unless you want to see a sea cucumber getting masturbated.

By: chavenet

chavenet — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:45:56 -0800

Spree Willy!

By: Apocryphon

Apocryphon — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:11:09 -0800

CNN: Seal attacks dolphin. And then, penguins fight seals!

By: jaduncan

jaduncan — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:17:02 -0800

Don't make the same mistake I did by googling that phrase unless you want to see a sea cucumber getting masturbated. The car-crash-viewer part of me had to Google but couldn't find the video. :/

By: invitapriore

invitapriore — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:33:25 -0800

last chance to turn back

By: Hairy Lobster

Hairy Lobster — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:39:20 -0800

gwildar: "Why don't Orcas attack humans? Seems odd that they'd leave us alone." If my memory serves me right we're not good food for orcas and sharks etc because we have a low fat content. Sharks don't usually eat people... they merely have a quick bite to, uh, sample us (followed by what amounts to spitting us out in disgust). Of course the process of sampling can be a somewhat less than pleasurable experience for the, um, sample.

By: elizardbits

elizardbits — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:17:28 -0800

I'm sort of picturing an undersea Costco with a disappointed entrepreneurial octopus trying in vain to hand around a tray of tasty human samples and all the sharks just swimming away in disgust. Pixar, this glorious tale can be yours for the bargain price of $50mil USD. Email in profile.

By: LeLiLo

LeLiLo — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:31:31 -0800

I don't know how 'rare' this really is, but just last week I was reading about the exact same thing in the Sea of Cortez, a blog post (with photos) earlier this month by a woman working on board a National Geographic cruise ship. Excerpt: "We got closer only to realize that there was a pod of 10-11 sperm whales in the water and that the killer whales must be trying to attack one of their young. Away from the group charged a large male sperm whale, traveling at such a rate he created his own bow wake while smacking his fluke on the surface and headed straight towards the pod of sperm whales and killer whales. The sperm whales then formed a rosette with all of their heads facing towards the middle and the young sperm whale protected in the middle [much as musk oxen do]. It was not long after we showed up, and the adult male sperm whale charged the killer whales, that the killer whales left the area."

By: Sparx

Sparx — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:48:11 -0800

"The unusual encounter is one of fewer than a dozen such recorded conflicts — and the first observed." This suggests that as many as ten encounters have been recorded without being observed. How? TFA continues that sentence with "...in the Indian ocean." A slightly less than judicious cut.

By: tapesonthefloor

tapesonthefloor — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:23:17 -0800

I wonder if this sort of thing used to happen when there were more fish in the ocean Or before motorized ocean traffic when they could still hear themselves think.

By: Benny Andajetz

Benny Andajetz — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:23:36 -0800

Transient orcas tend to be more aggressive and eat more mammals than their fish-eating Resident and Offshore cousins, but to hunt something twice their size?? My mind is boggled. I wonder why this happened. Orcas (like sperm whales, and all predators) go primarily after the old, weak, and young. There was a juvenile sperm whale in the group (possibly why they grouped together and stayed that way), and my gut feeling is that that is what attracted the orcas. Apparently, the orcas were successful.

By: jaduncan

jaduncan — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:59:23 -0800

last chance to turn back Thank you. That was all that I could have hoped it would be.

By: glasseyes

glasseyes — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:45:45 -0800

Just for fun, the orca sea-lion beach hunt from Trials of Life (1990). "Mike was confident that once the whale recognised that he wasn't a seal, it wouldn't go through with the full attack. It didn't take long for his theory to be tested..." (at 6.11)

By: homunculus

homunculus — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 17:48:47 -0800

In other cetacean news: Humpback Whales Learn New Tricks By Watching Their Friends. Behaviors are spread through cultural transmission in animals other than humans and non-human primates.

By: the man of twists and turns

the man of twists and turns — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:33:02 -0800

Photographer Captures Stunning Killer Whale Attack on Dolphin transients, residents, and "offshore." Also, I watched Orca: The Killer Whale on Netflix last night. Not quite so-bad-its-good.