Watch: Killer Whales Charge Blue Whale (Rare Drone Footage)
Transcript
A drone captured a startling encounter off the Monterey, California: a pod of killer whales charging and striking a blue whale.
Researchers who witnessed the encounter say the pod may have been harassing the larger whale for fun to teach their young.
Killer whales do prey on blue whales, but this behavior is rarely observed in Monterey orca communities.
The latter feeds on krill and other tiny crustaceans.
Blue whales are the largest animal ever known to have lived on Earth.
But despite its large size, this one seemed easily startled by killer whales.
The frightened animal thrashed its body and tail around, churning the water.
Then it fled the scene.
The killer whales did not pursue the Blue whale after their strike.
