‘Killer whale madness’: Orcas spotted off southern California

Pod of orca whales spotted off the coast of southern California
One tour company says the whale activity is unprecedented
Tour company: "No telling how long they might stay at this"

Updated: Dec 26, 2023 / 09:50 AM CST

In a image from video provided by The Ocean Race, an orca moves along a rudder of the Team JAJO entry in The Ocean Race on Thursday, June 22, 2023, as the boat approached the Strait of Gibraltar. A pod of killer whales bumped one of the boats in an endurance sailing race, the latest encounter in what researchers say is a growing trend of sometimes-aggressive interactions with Iberian orcas. No one was injured. (The Ocean Race via AP)

(NewsNation) — In a Christmas show like no other, a pod of orcas hunting for food has been spotted off the coast of southern California.

According to one tour company, the number of whale sightings lately has been unprecedented, particularly with the killer whales.

“Killer Whale madness again today off Laguna Beach! What other words can we say, besides that this amount of activity is just unprecedented!!,” the tour company posted on social media. “They seem to have found a new hunting ground and it’s no telling how long they might stay at this point.”

A pod of orcas has been active off Laguna Beach and as far north as Malibu, bringing out hoards of whale watchers for the show.

Orcas have also been spotted hunting further north. Around Thanksgiving, whale watchers spotted a family of orcas hunting a sea lion in Monterey Bay.

Gray whales and humpback whales have also been spotted off California since it is the time of year when many whales migrate south toward warmer waters.

But the orca show is a special treat for southern Californians as they are most abundant in colder waters like off the coast of Alaska. Experts say the orcas being spotted in California are eastern tropical Pacific orcas, which typically live in the waters off Mexico and Central America.

All killer whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, but the distinct Southern Resident population, which lives in waters from central California up to Southeastern Alaska, is considered endangered. This is due to the sheer number of boats cutting into their food supply.