Observation date: 8 May 2014
Orcas Photo by R. Dexter Lipton
When I arrived at the south parking lot around 8:30 AM, people were running, some walking to the breakwater to get a look at the drama unfolding just off shore.
Orca breaching Photo by Mike Jones/AZHIAZIAM
A pod of orcas were trying to separate a young gray whale calf from its mother. I set up one of my three spotting scopes on the orcas, the other two on the falcons.From my vantage point, I could see the male orcas trying to climb on the whale’s back. The tall dorsal fin of the male and white eye patch were very visible.
The SubSeas Tours whale watching boat, “Dos Osos,” the Harbor Patrol boat and two smaller craft were very near. The show went on for a total of seven hours.
Gray whale calf washed up on the Morro Strand beach Photo by Mike Baird
The seven or eight active orcas managed to drown the calf and they with the rest of the pod consumed most of the soft tissue, lips, eyes, tongue, but nothing from the back of the head to the tail.
Gashes on the Gray whale calf from orca teeth Photo by Joyce Cory
Three days later, it washed up on Morro Strand about a half mile north of Morro Rock. The following day, they buried it at water’s edge with a backhoe.
Gulls acting as the clean up crew Photo by Joyce Cory
It made the news, many photos are showing up around town. Here are, but a few and their contributors.
Happy trails, Bob
Nice reporting.
Thank you for your fine panoramic photo, Mike. We are so glad you were there to give us the opportunity to show our viewers the full landscape which puts everything in perspective.
~Heather
Thanks to all the photographers who contributed their fine work.
~ Bob & Heather
It is sad but life/death in the wild is like that.
You are so right to see the bigger picture of what was happening.
~Heather
The post was very good but it made me very sad, glad I wasn’t there, would have wanted the spectators to rescue the baby. I think of the ocean as so beautiful and forget the drama that goes on just under the water.
The drama of life is natural as are the emotions that go with it. Thank you for sharing your observations with us.
~Heather
Everything has to eat but sometimes it is still sad. You have a perfect window on the world, or at least, the important things.
Yes, it is a unique view that we had. We were just in on a very close at hand predator/prey study. Remember that we, humans, are the biggest predator around. Puts everything into perspective, doesn’t it? So important to take care of our oceans. ~Heather