Orcas put on a show with breaches and tail slapping off Seattle on Friday, drawing dozens of people to the shore in the West Seattle neighborhood, the Associated Press reported.
Whale watchers identified the pod as Bigg’s killer whales, a group that hunts sea mammals and lives in the Salish Sea. The pod appeared to be hunting, AP said.
Among the people watching from Alki Beach was Summer Staley, who drove from across the city after seeing a post on the Orca Network’s Facebook page alerting of the pod’s arrival. The Orca Network, according to AP, tracks whales using reports from people on land and in the water.
Staley said she has seen the orcas a few dozen times over the last year. She described the moment as a chance to connect with nature and the universe, saying, “It’s just such a beautiful connection with nature and with the universe to be sharing the same space with these beautiful creatures,”.
Staley added, “How lucky am I to be able to share this space with them?” as the orcas continued their display.
AP reported that the creatures breached and slapped their tails for about an hour. Seabirds and a bald eagle trailed the pod, looking for scraps.