The crew and passengers of FastCat were treated to a spectacular training event in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The T101's and potentially another group of T's spent approximately an hour and a bit harassing and then killing a fairly mature male Steller sea lion. A juvenile transient killer whale was receiving a lesson in the technique of hunting a Steller sea lion. The whales continually cut off the Steller sea lion's escape route to Race Rocks (an area with numerous rocks that seals and sea lions use to haul out of the water). The young transient was educated in tail slapping, body slamming and drowning of the Steller sea lion. These training events may not always lead to a kill, but after an hour and a bit of harassing, the whales suddenly slipped underneath the surface for nearly five minutes and the sea gulls swarmed the water over head. The training event turned into a meal, which all participants share in the success of the kill. Note: as a passenger that day, I got to enjoy the opportunity of drinking in the event and snapping off as many pictures before my camera battery died. Above are some of my pictures from the event and one of the photos in the side corner includes the Steller sea lion being rammed by a transient. ALL PHOTOS ARE ZOOMED IN!
The FastCat also visited Race Rocks MPA (marine protected area), with those photos to come.
1 comment:
We were there! Thanks for the photos and for all your insights into the event. It was a thrilling day at sea and a not easily forgotten display, unnerving and beautiful.
Brenda Ellison
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