Gray whales fight off 30 killer whales in dramatic drone video off California coast

A drone video shows 30 orcas attacking two gray whales off the California coastline, whale watchers reported.

Evan Brodsky told KSBW he captured the five-hour battle with a drone from a Monterey Bay Whale Watch boat on Thursday, March 30, in Monterey Bay.

More than two dozen Bigg’s killer whales ganged up on the gray whales, which are migrating north, Monterey Bay Whale Watch said on Facebook.

The video, posted to Facebook, shows orcas swarming around the whales amid splashes and spouts.

“Usually killer whales will hunt gray whale calves as they head up to their northern feeding areas with their moms,” the post read. “But these were not calves: they were huge adult gray whales!”

The killer whales eventually broke off the attack when the gray whales split up and headed for shallower water, Monterey Bay Whale Watch said.

Gray whales can grow up to 49 feet long and weigh up to 90,000 pounds, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

Bigg’s orcas, also known as transient killer whales, roam the Pacific Northwest and prefer a diet of marine mammals as opposed to other oras, which eat mainly fish, according to OrcaLab.

Monterey Bay is about 120 miles south of San Francisco.

This story was originally published April 2, 2023 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Gray whales fight off 30 killer whales in dramatic drone video off California coast."