SALISH SEA, Wash. – If you were hoping for a break from divisiveness and fighting that’s become synonymous with election season, you may want to rule out whale watching.
The Pacific Whale Watch Association says they were witness to a rare battle between a large group of killer whales and a pair of humpback whales here in the Salish Sea on Thursday.
About 25 miles west of Victoria, crews on whale-watching vessels spotted roughly 15 Bigg’s orcas unusually active on the surface, soon realizing there seemed to be a standoff with two humpbacks.
Observers say breaching, tail slapping and loud vocalizations went on for three hours before the group disappeared into some fog.
Bigg’s orcas have been known to occasionally hunt humpbacks, though no fatal attacks have been observed in our waters.
The Whale Watch Association says with the number of the two species increasing in our region, the encounters could become more common.