Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Drama at Sea, Nanaimo, 3 Feb.

Passengers aboard a B.C. Ferry at the Departure Bay, Nanaimo terminal on Tuesday got to witness the spectacle of a school of white stripe dolphins being hunted by a pod of transient orcas.



Transient pods migrate through the local waters hunting for dolphins, seals and sea lions.  Resident pods hunt fish.

6 comments:

deb said...

amazing.
the orcas hung out by gabe for a while waiting too.

LeDaro said...

I feel sorry for the seals. There're human predators too.

The Mound of Sound said...

Hi Deb. They seem to have herded then dolphins into Departure Bay to have a go at them. We seem to be seeing these mega-pods of dolphins a lot over the past year or two. I'm guessing it's the northern migration of anchovies and sardines that's drawing them en masse into our waters.

We don't have a seal hunt out here, LD. Seals and sea lions are protected species which suggests we must have hunted the hell out of them in years past.

deb said...

poor dolphins, I hope they made it. I know its nature but I still wish they didnt have to be killed.

LeDaro said...

Mound, I actually meant human predators who mainly live in Ottawa.

The Mound of Sound said...

Then it's not just the seals you need to pity, LD. It's the entire west coast marine environment.