Charvet Drucker, a local wildlife photographer, documented this amazing escape during a recent whale-watching trip out of Seattle. As she filmed a harbor seal attempting to evade a pod of Bigg’s orcas, she inadvertently found herself in the middle of the chase. Although federal wildlife regulations make it illegal to harass wildlife, Drucker stood back with a zoom lens to get the stunning shot of this dangerous standoff.
The orcas, famed for their predation on seals and other mammals, mercilessly chased the seal in the whitecapped surf. Drucker has previously photographed dead seals in the mouths of orcas, and she expressed a general admiration for the predators, stating, “I’m definitely team orca, all day, every day.” When the nervous seal hopped onto her boat’s transom, though, hers did.
During filming, Drucker was heard audibly expressing, “You poor thing!” after seeing the seal looking up at her. But things got ugly when the pod started to get nearer her ship. Drucker and her team were immediately struck by the behavior of the orcas chasing the seal. The seal hurriedly tried to find safety on their boat.
Drucker got some breathtaking photos of the seal escaping through the air over the orcas’ feeding frenzy. At first, she thought she was seeing the seal’s final moments. This incredible footage demonstrates the most epic form of orca hunting – the dramatic “wave-washing” technique. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists have observed this behavior since at least the 1980s.
The seal performed an impressive escape tactic that rescued it. In spite of the predatory grip of the orcas, it made a daring escape and turned tiger on them. Drucker’s photos provide a sweeping view of the dynamic and violent life under the ocean. Together, they poignantly bring to life the unending tension between predator and prey.
“I’m definitely team orca, all day, every day. But once that seal was on the boat, I kind of turned into team seal.” – Charvet Drucker