Whale-watchers in Monterey Bay captured striking footage of a large pod of orcas hunting a group of dolphins, with the predators repeatedly surfacing and striking from below. The video, shared by Luke Kilpatrick of Sanctuary Cruises, shows orcas working in coordinated bursts that sometimes launched dolphins into the air. NOAA notes orcas use underwater sound and team-based strategies—behaviors that vary by population and local diet.
Rare Footage Shows Large Pod of Orcas Hunting Dolphins Off Monterey Bay
Orca whales surface to breath as they swim close to shore near Lim Kiln State Park on San Juan Island by the Salish Sea. 2004.
MONTEREY BAY, Calif. — Whale-watchers on a weekend trip were treated to a dramatic and rare encounter when a sizeable pod of orcas (killer whales) chased and struck a group of dolphins near the surface.
A video recorded by tour operator Luke Kilpatrick of Sanctuary Cruises captures the pod pursuing the dolphins with coordinated bursts of speed. The footage shows orcas striking from below and, at times, propelling dolphins into the air.
Orcas use powerful hearing and underwater vocalizations to feed, communicate and navigate. Those sensory abilities help them coordinate complex hunts across varied marine environments.
"As a whole, the species has the most varied diet of all cetaceans, but different populations are usually specialized in their foraging behavior and diet. They often use a coordinated hunting strategy, working as a team like a pack of wolves," NOAA said.
Pods typically consist of a few to 20 or more closely related individuals, though larger temporary aggregations can form for social interaction or cooperative hunting. The video shows repeated, high-speed surface bursts as the orcas worked together to isolate and overwhelm their prey.
These animals are apex predators whose diets vary by region. For example, populations in the Pacific Northwest feed primarily on fish such as salmon, while others may target marine mammals or different prey types depending on local availability.
The encounter—captured from small tour boats—offers a vivid example of the orca's hunting skill and the complex predator-prey dynamics that play out off the California coast.
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