WATCH: Orcas hunt, kill fin whale in front of shocked Aussie tourists at Bremer Bay just kilometres from shore

Warning: Graphic

A routine whale watching tour off WA’s south coast has taken a dark turn after orcas hunted down and killed a young fin whale in front of shocked tourists.

The Whale Watch WA tour group was about six kilometres off the coast of Bremer Bay on Sunday morning when it came across a well known pod of killer whales — affectionately named Queen, Cookie, and Cooee — and their babies.

They were joined by other pods, with more than 65 of the mammals spotted.

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As the tour watched on, the orcas’ energy “shifted within a heartbeat”, with the group suddenly “exploding” out of the water towards an 11-metre, young fin whale which was believed to have been separated from its mother.

The orcas’ killer instincts set in as the tour boat followed on behind.

A spokesperson from the Whale Watch WA tour group said the young whale appeared to be in shock.

“Watching on, we observed the orca family members group up around the young fin whale as they surrounded the youngster to prevent it from diving or evading them by moving even closer to the coastline,” the spokesperson said.

“Fin whales are regarded as the fastest mammal in the sea, but such a young individual is not experienced in escaping so many apex predators and seemed to be in shock with the situation that was unfolding.”

The orcas began rolling the whale onto its back in an attempt to drown it, and even pushed it towards the tour boat as the whale became “disorientated” and lost strength.

The orcas then “piled” onto the whale, pouncing on its “prized” lips and tongue as the young animal finally gave in to its attackers.

According to the stunned witnesses, albatross and shearwater birds then swooped to gather the leftovers as the orcas tucked into their feed.

“It was nature at is most pure and confronting as we found ourselves watching this scene unfold (on Sunday) with Bremer Bay clearly just in the background.

“A sight we have never witnessed before being so close to the town that these orca are named after.

“It was astounding to witness but also upsetting to see this poor young fin whale in such a desperate situation.”

It is “rare” to see fin whales in Australian waters, but the experience was a “historical and momentous” day for the tour to witness.

“Our hearts were broken for this poor fin whale who was an absolutely beautiful individual and a picture of health.

“It is important to remember that the sacrifice of this one whale will nourish countless other creatures within this ecosystem as nothing goes to waste.

“Still, it is always difficult to observe these hunts and as spectacular as they are to witness and the energy that surrounds such events, we still respect and love the prey that these orca decide to pursue as part of their diet.”

Lead Researcher for the Cetacean Research Centre John Totterdell said orcas are rarely seen so close to shore along WA’s south coast during the summer and spring.

“The sighting of over 50 orca close to the Bremer Bay coast yesterday was a particularly rare event,” he said.

“It was highly likely that the animals picked up the acoustic vocals from the fins and then travelled over 24 kilometres up onto the shelf from the deep canyons, almost directly to the fin whale.

“It is also likely that we will see and hear more of these events now as the large whale populations recover from commercial whaling.”

Mr Totterdell said killer whales have no natural predator and are the dominant species in many of the world’s oceans.

“Attacks on other whales are common with many of the world’s orca populations, but not all; some prefer fish and squid,” he said.

“Predation on smaller whales, such as many beaked whale species, and on the calves of larger whales has been well known for many decades.

“Reports and sightings of attacks and successful predation on larger whales, such as blues and fins, like the attack yesterday, have recently become more frequent.”

UWA Professor of Marine Conservation Jessica Meeuwig AM said the Bremer Canyon, 70kms off shore, is a regular hot spot for the orcas.

“They likely congregate seasonally here because the canyons form upwellings, and so they’re hotspots for productivity,” she said.

“You get fish, you get squids, you get whales, and you get orcas.”

She said the recent attack was an interesting observation, but not surprising.

“As Whale Watch WA is saying, it’s unusual to see them so close to shore, but it’s not all that surprising,” she said.

“There are killer whales off of the Canadian coast that will basically herd their prey and sort of shepherd them up and shoal them up on the shore.

“They are amazingly smart animals, they have a number of hunting strategies and I think we are just pulling back the curtain on what we know about them.

Professor Meeuwig said the Bremer Canyon area was an important area to protect in order to better understand orca behaviour.

“As we learn more about them, particularly that they may be ranging closer to share than previously thought, its important to make sure they’re not negatively interacting with fishing or other activities that could harm them,” she said.

“Orcas are such ecologically important and special animals, we need to ensure protection at places like Bremer Bay is adequate.”