‘Killer whale madness’ continues off Southern California coast

Marc Sternfield
·2 min read
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A pod of orcas continues to dazzle whale watchers off the coast of Orange County in what tour guides have dubbed “Killer Whale Madness.”

The Eastern Tropical Pacific orcas have been nurturing calves and hunting dolphins as far north as Malibu since they first showed up in Southern California about two weeks ago.

On Sunday, a Newport Coastal Adventures tour captured footage of a killer whale chasing a dolphin and later dining on the fresh kill.

  • Orca vs. Dolphin
    A killer whale chases a dolphin off Laguna Beach, California on Dec. 24, 2023. (Newport Coastal Adventures)
  • Killer Whales
    Orcas are seen off the coast of the Palos Verdes Peninsula on Dec. 16, 2023. (Capt. Tyler Askari/Harbor Breeze Cruises)
  • Killer Whales
    An orca is seen off the coast of the Palos Verdes Peninsula on Dec. 16, 2023. (Capt. Tyler Askari/Harbor Breeze Cruises)
  • Killer Whales
    An orca is seen off the coast of the Palos Verdes Peninsula on Dec. 16, 2023. (Capt. Tyler Askari/Harbor Breeze Cruises)
  • orcas
    A pod of about a dozen orcas was spotted off the Southern California coast on Dec. 11, 2023. (Harbor Breeze Cruises)
  • orcas
    A pod of about a dozen orcas was spotted off the Southern California coast on Dec. 11, 2023. (Harbor Breeze Cruises)

“Killer Whale madness again today off Laguna Beach! What other words can we say, besides that this amount of activity is just unprecedented!!,” the tour company posted on social media. “They seem to have found a new hunting ground and it’s no telling how long they might stay at this point.”

If you’re considering booking a whale-watching tour out of Newport Beach or Long Beach, experts say your best chance to see the orcas is with a faster boat, like an inflatable Zodiac, which can keep up with the speedy mammals.

Killer whales are dazzling tourists off the Los Angeles coast

Orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family. A male can grow to nearly 33 feet in length and weigh around 22,000 pounds, according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

Eastern Tropical Pacific orcas are typically found in the waters off Mexico and Central America, but can also venture as far west as Hawaii. Malibu is considered to be the far northernmost point of their range.

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