Hundreds of killer whales seen in Gulf of Mexico

[cobalt1999]

www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-25-whales-gulf_N.htm?csp=34

It was a fish story that even veteran boat captains found fascinating: As many as 200 killer whales feeding on tuna in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. "It was like being at Sea World because they'd come right up to the boat," said Eddie Hall, captain of the Shady Lady, the 60-foot charter boat that spotted the shiny black sea beasts with white eye patches and undersides. "It was pretty neat."

It was also hard for some skeptics to believe: Orcas, as killer whales are also known, typically are thought to live in cold water and eat seals.

But Hall's description of what he saw last Oct. 31 was no tall tale: A government biologist who saw video taken from Hall's boat confirmed the captain had spotted the creatures. And last week that same scientist, Keith Mullin, explained at a public meeting in Orange Beach, Ala., that yes, contrary to common perceptions, killer whales really do live in the Gulf, far from land.

Mullin, whose outfit has been working for years to get an accurate count of the Gulf's whale population, said it may be time to dramatically increase estimates on how many killer whales are lurking in the deep waters off the Gulf Coast. He's taking part in a research expedition this summer that could determine if his hunch is right.


This is in the waters where we boat and fish. I'd really like to see one.

[liberal N proud]

1. Maybe they are trying to find Orlando...

So they can visit Shamu and his friends

[asjr]

2. They must have a really good cruise director.

[semillama]

3. Good post!

I had never heard of Killer Whales in the Gulf before, either. It's pretty amazing.

edited to add: I wonder if they used to prey on Caribbean Monk Seals before they went extinct?

[cobalt1999]

6. It follows the Whale Shark sightings

www.ajc.com/metro/content/news/stories/2008/08/15/whale_sharks_gatherings.html

Huge gatherings of whale sharks discovered in Gulf of Mexico

Scientists have become increasingly convinced that huge gatherings of giant whale sharks occur with clockwork regularity in the northern Gulf of Mexico off the coasts of Mississippi and Louisiana.

Scientist Eric Hoffmayer, who is trying to unravel the mysterious “aggregations,” said that as many as 100 of the bus-sized sharks have been spotted feeding in clusters at three separate areas about 40 to 100 miles offshore.

“We have lots of reports of 30 or 50 animals in one place,” said Hoffmayer, a scientist with the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, Miss. “They are obviously gathering for a reason. But right now we are not sure what that is, or how they know to show up at these spots.”


As populated and traveled as the Gulf of Mexico is, it's still nice to know there are surprises out there.

[sailor65]

4. It's about time

that "Killer Whale" moniker goes away for good.

For the OP....I hope you get the chance, the experience is quite breathtaking.

[ForrestGump]

7. I don't have a problem with the name

I pretty much always used to call them orcas until I got into grad school and began studying similar predators; turns out that most of the people studying them and publishing about them use the 'killer whale' name and I just sort of got used to using it myself. Besides, I don't see it as a value judgment (not just in terms of anthropomorphic thought but also because they're pretty phenomenal predators and it's hard not to be impressed by their predatory attributes) and nine out of ten seals, whales, sharks, and salmon included in a recent survey agreed that the 'killer' title is warranted.

Of course, I wouldn't be too up in arms if we were officially renamed the Killer Ape, either...

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

8. They are called "orcas" in Brazil. Shorter and more accurate. Y'all should use that too.

I see some already do.

[Doremus]

5. Could this be a result of climate change?

[ForrestGump]

9. Maybe

Or it could have at least contributed.

There've long been tropical (and warm-temperate) orcas in at least the Pacific, though. They just haven't been as widely studied or publicized as have those from higher-latitude climes of the Northern Hemisphere.