Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

These spectacular photos of a pod of killer whales on the hunt for sharks in South Africa have been captured from a tourist boat.

The Simon’s Town Boat Company had been hired by a media company with the permits to travel in Cape Town’s False Bay area famous for its great white sharks, and they were rewarded when the companies Dave Hurwitz was able to capture these images of the pod of Orca’s entering the waters.

The killer whales have no natural predator and tend to hunt in packs communicating with each other in order to capture prey which ranges from fish through to sea lions, other whales and sharks.

False Bay is reportedly attractive for them as it has not only fish but an abundance of sharks, whales, dolphins, penguins and seals.

The extended stay of the Orca’s in False Bay is probably in response to the abundance of prey that has turned up in the past few months. Large shoals of fish have attracted pods of common dolphins as well as sharks, whales, penguins and seals. But these in turn have attracted the killer whales which feed on everything else.

Killer whale sightings in Cape Town have reportedly been increasing in recent years and they are apparently particularly keen on sharks. Last year marine biologist Alison Kock at the Cape Research Centre noted that a pair of Orcas had been killing great white sharks and broadnose sevengill sharks and only eating their livers which they appeared to regard as a delicacy.

The killer whales in these pictures, however, had been seen hunting fish.

Speaking about the pictures taken this month Dave said: “The pod size was about 9 including 2 males. It is the first time we’ve sighted males in the bay, and it included one very young calf. They were first spotted hunting dolphins at about midday just east of Roman Rock Lighthouse – they killed one and it seemed they were teaching the calf to hunt, and then they lost interest and headed off towards Seal Island.”

He said was able to follow them for 11 miles before he left them. He added that when the orcas had visited previously, they had remained for a few weeks and he was hopeful that they would stay longer this time as well.

He added: “We are certainly going to remain on high alert and will hopefully enjoy further sightings.”

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