Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in the Gulf of California
In recent years, we have had remarkable encounters with killer whales, or orcas, in the warm waters of the Gulf of California. Free-spirited, cosmopolitan, and unpredictable 
— this is how we define orcas, the apex predators of our oceans.
One of the most epic encounters from our expedition happened this week. Katie (our Citabria pilot) and I decided to explore some of the northern islands in search of big rorquals or a herd of sperm whales. But Mother Nature delivered a different surprise for us. A pod of seven killer whales! (one male, two calves, and four females, some of them young).
They seemed curious about our boats, circling them closely. Our guests from the Gallant Lady had a blast. We witnessed behaviour like spy-hopping and majestic breaches. But the coolest thing was watching them feed on a mola mola and share it amongst the group!
Orcas Seen Playing with Mola Mola in the Sea of Cortez
This was an extremely unique and rare event. To put it in perspective, there are just a few reports worldwide of orcas feeding on the charismatic sunfish. Mola molas are considered rare prey… There are even reports of orcas just playing with them without causing harm! Although this wasn’t true for our unlucky mola mola friend, whose remains were being passed around the hungry group of orcas. It’s well known that orcas can either attack their prey or simply play with them without killing them; this practice is believed to serve as a lesson to the younger orcas on hunting strategies.
Killer Whale Eating Habits
So far, we know that there is a strong correlation between the size of the pods of orcas and their diets. In other words, there is an optimal group size so that each pod member can obtain an energy compensation in relation to its eating habits. According to Guerrero (2013), the average size of the pod of orcas according to their diet in the Gulf of California, and the Pacific side of Baja are the following: predating on cetaceans- 8.5 (no surprises here- in Baja we host 31 species of cetaceans, some of them are residents and other migratory), mantas- 8, feeding on pinnipeds or sharks- 5 and fish- 3. This has us thinking, are the mola mola part of their main menu? How abundant are sunfish here? Does the group of orcas we observed have a specialized diet consisting of Mola Mola or a generalized one?
There are many things that we don’t know about these fascinating killer whales in Baja. However, we are excited to discover more and welcome you to join us on the journey. Find out how you can visit Orcas in the Sea of Cortez.
- Written by Scartlett, an experienced naturalist onboard the Nautilus Gallant Lady
