On Sunday, December 21st, we received a report of an orca sighting off La Majahua Beach, just outside Zihuatanejo Bay. After preparing our equipment and coordinating an unplanned survey, we set out from the Zihuatanejo pier to look for it. Finally, we were able to locate it approximately 4 km offshore, about 5.5 km from Zihuatanejo Bay.
We began to collect data, including photographing the left and right dorsal fins along with the “saddle patch”, when we witnessed something truly surprising. The orca had a humpback whale calf in its mouth and was feeding on it!
There are different ecotypes of orcas. Some, known as “Residents,” primarily feed on fish, while “Transients” feed on marine mammals. Since our region is a breeding, calving, and nursery area for humpback whales—with a large presence of calves that are easier prey—this orca chose to hunt here… and succeeded. With the data collected, we will be able to ID and learn more about this orca.
Please note that some images/videos may be sensitive, so viewer discretion is advised.
