Featured Image Credit: CEN/Team Trip
By Sarah Sharkey
Why are orcas also known as killer whales? Although they are usually adorable, they can also be vicious when it comes to catching a meal.
The video shows a pod of killer whales capturing a minke whale for a meal off of Russia’s eastern coast. It is a hard video to watch, but it is the circle of life because every creature has to eat.
The video was captured by drone, and it shows a group of four killer whales circling, hunting and eating their prey. The pod worked together to exhaust the minke whale. First, they chased it for a long time to tire it out, and as the minke whale loses steam, the killer whales start to tear the whale apart.
Next, the killer whales started working on drowning the minke whale. The killer whales continually pushed the minke whale under the surface and held it their so that it could not breathe.
Unfortunately for the minke whale, it lost the battle and its life. But the killer whales were happy with their conquest. They need these large meals in order to survive. It can be hard to witness these events, but they are important for the survival of the orcas.
As apex predators, killer whales have earned their name “killer.” But that does not mean we should be afraid of them, we should just allow nature to take its course.