Two orcas – a massive male accompanied by a female – have been creating havoc along the Cape coastline for the past fortnight.
The pair has been linked to multiple attacks on southern right whale calves, from the Eastern Cape all the way down to False Bay near Cape Town.
Their encounters with southern rights have stunned marine scientists, who are investigating what could mark a fascinating shift in the hunting behaviour of these apex predators.
For years, an orca pair, affectionately named Port and Starboard, have been regular visitors to Cape waters. Known for preying on great white sharks, the male pair are usually the ones blamed when something big goes down.
This new pair seems to be going after bigger prey.
Orcas target southern right whale calves
According to the Simon’s Town Boat Company, the male and female pair’s coastal journey began off Kaysers Beach near East London.
There, they reportedly killed a southern right whale calf before remaining in the area for another two days.
After sightings at Kids Beach, the orcas reached Plettenberg Bay on the 14th of October, where the pair were filmed attempting to prey on another southern right whale calf.
The amateur drone footage captured the mother defending her youngster for four gruelling hours before the predators eventually gave up.
On 15 October, the pair were spotted off Knysna before continuing west towards Jongensfontein, near Still Bay.
Here, surf instructor Shannon Ainslie filmed an encounter which showed the orcas again attempting to isolate and attack a southern right whale calf.
Marine scientist Dr Simon Elwen, founding director of Sea Search, confirmed that the footage showed a hunting attempt.
“It was almost certainly a predation attempt,” Elwen told CapeTalk earlier this week. He added that southern right whales are excellent mothers, and good at defending their young.
Elwen also noted that orca attacks on large whales, like southern rights and humpbacks, have been rare in South Africa.
“Having three attacks in just over a month, basically, is a real game changer,” he said.
Researchers are still gathering information to confirm whether the same orcas are responsible. “Presumably they are,” Elwen added.
new pair spotted in False Bay
Following the Jongensfontein attack, the orca pair were clocked off Hermanus on Thursday morning, before making an appearance in False Bay on Friday.
The Simon’s Town Boat Company reported that researchers, including Dr. Elwen, joined a whale-watching trip to collect DNA samples and potentially attach a satellite tag.
“Our main concern though, was for a mother and calf southern right whale and sub-adult humpback whales that were in False Bay for the whole day yesterday,” the Company said.
“We certainly did not want to witness them being preyed upon.”
After eventually locating the orca pair, who had become “super interactive and surface active” with the boats, scientists were able to successfully collect biopsy samples and attach a satellite tag to the female orca.
The animals also “buzzed” three Cape fur seals during the encounter, causing the seals to leap from the water.
Whether the pair continues heading westwards along the coast should become clear in the next few days.