Distressing photos of killer whale teasing its prey
WARNING – DISTRESSING CONTENT: The moment a killer whale appears to tease an unlucky seal by pushing him around a stretch of water before finally eating him for dinner has been caught on camera.
The seven-metre killer whale managed to catch the seal by surprise as he charged into a reef and chased him into open water at Cowichan Bay on Canada’s Vancouver Island.
The predator then seized his prey and toyed with the seal, dragging it beneath the water and repeatedly surfacing, before killing it.
The photographs were taken by whale researcher Gary Sutton, who is able to identify each killer whale in the area by their natural markings and their dorsal fin.
“I took these pictures during an amazing evening,” the 33-year-old said.
“We had gone up into the Strait of Georgia, which separates Vancouver and Vancouver Island, to see this family of killer whales.”
Mr Sutton said the whale, identified as T065A2, managed to get close enough to the reef to force the seal into open water.
“He almost seemed to be toying with it – as he had its lower half in his mouth and was pushing it along like you can see in the photos,” he said.
“He dragged the seal down multiple times and then brought it back to the surface only to play and torment with it a bit more before the rest of the family came in to share the meal.”
Mr Sutton said he feels “very privileged” to be able to catch a glimpse of the ocean’s top predator on a regular basis.
“Having said that, you can’t help but feel a bit bad for the seal being pulled around by this massive whale,” he admitted.
“It’s all part of the food chain though and it keeps this beautiful ecosystem in harmony.
– Australscope
