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Two pods of orcas have been spotted hunting near California's Pismo Beach, stunning a nearby photographer who said he had never seen anything like it.
Vincent Shay had been looking for humpback whales when he set off from California's Avila Beach on September 6.
Sitting in his small, motor-powered boat a few miles off the coast, it wasn't long before he found the whales he was looking for, a group of around ten.
"It was perfect but the whales were pretty lethargic," he wrote in a Facebook post. More photos are available to see here.
Moving towards the Pismo area, Shay was suddenly treated to an ocean experience he had never had before—two active pods of orcas, the ocean's top predator.
Shay had seen some orca movement with fins breaking the water's surface in the past, but only briefly. This time, he was right in the middle of a group.
"An obviously family group teaching some juveniles to hunt," he wrote. "I have NEVER been this close to these amazing creatures."
Shay captured several photos of the orcas breaching the water with their heads or swimming with their dorsal fins cutting through the glassy surface, illuminated by the evening sun.
One photo even shows the barely noticeable head of a baby orca as it swims with a group of adults.
Orcas, also known as killer whales, are famous for their black and white coloration. Despite their alternative name, they are more closely related to dolphins than whales, and have earned the "killer" moniker not because they kill humans, but because they feed on other marine mammals according to the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.
Individuals can weigh up to 11 tons, reach a length of 32 feet, and potentially live for up to 90 years.
While orcas are the most widely distributed of all whales and dolphins and can be found in every ocean in the world, it's not always easy to predict when they'll show up. It's thought that only around 200 transient orcas—one of several types in the northern hemisphere—reside off the California coast, the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History states.
Orcas were once targeted by hunters and fishermen, though today they're protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. However, they still face the threat of capture so that they can be held captive in aquariums and marine parks in some countries. Some populations also face threats from chemical pollution and boat traffic disturbance.
"It was a mind-blowing experience and reminds me how utterly lucky we are all to be living on the central coast," Shay wrote on Facebook.
The photographer has posted his photos on his social media pages over the past several days where they have gained hundreds of likes. A video was also posted on September 10, showing the dorsal fin of one of the orcas as it swims away.
