Drone video shows a few of the Southern Resident killer whales caught swimming in the Central California waters.
MONTEREY BAY, Calif. – A group of Southern Resident killer whales were spotted in Monterey Bay, California, on Tuesday in a rare spectacle of the endangered creatures.
About 25 of the whales were seen during an expedition by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch. The organization noted that the whales were feeding on salmon in the area, and did so for several hours.
Drone video showed a few of the Southern Resident killer whales caught swimming and eating salmon in the Central California waters.
The whales also showed the whale-watching group a bit of their personality.
Southern Resident killer whale.
(Monterey Bay Whale Watch / FOX Weather)
“What an amazing and once-in-a-lifetime experience for our passengers and crew – a day we won’t soon forget!” said the Monterey Bay Whale Watch.
Southern Resident killer whales are unique from other killer whales in that they are a bit animated, according to Monterey Whale Watch Marine Biologist Nancy Black.
“They are very active, so that means they tend to breach a lot more than the other types of killer whale,” she said. “They’re spy hopping, where their head comes out of the water and looking, and they can be very curious, and they’re just very bubbly and playful.”
Rarity nearing extinction
The Monterey Bay Whale Watch noted that Tuesday’s sighting was the 10th sighting of Southern Resident killer whales in Monterey Bay in 25 years.
One of the reasons why the whales are rarely seen is because approximately 73 of them exist, according to the Monterey Bay Whale Watch. So, seeing about one-third of all Southern Resident killer whales on the planet was significant.
Southern Resident killer whales.
(Monterey Bay Whale Watch / FOX Weather)
Also, the animals were far from their usual swimming grounds. Despite their name, Southern Resident killer whales are traditionally found off the more northerly coasts of Washington state and Canada.
While spotting the whales this week was a joyous occasion for those on the whale watch expedition, it was also a reminder of the hardships the animals have been facing.
Black said the whales traveled south to California due to the dwindling numbers of salmon – the primary food source for Southern Resident killer whales – particularly in the Pacific Northwest.
She noted that the salmon population and the health of many Southern Resident killer whales are so compromised that the whales could become extinct within 25-50 years.