Yesterday I went on the local whale watching tour. I was expecting to see Humpback Whales (which we eventually did) but first we were had the good fortune to see a pod of four Killer Whales hunting marine mammals in Eastern Channel. Orcas fall into two categories, residents and transients. Residents hunt fish, transients hunt marine mammals. These were definitely the latter.
In reality the interaction between the Harbor Seal and the Orcas was short, but it seemed to go on for a long time. I am sure the adults could have ended it quickly, they didn't. There were two juveniles in the group, perhaps it was a teaching moment for them, I don't know. What I do know is that these are the last moments of this young seals life. It was a privilege to witness this circle of life moment.
