Incredible, first-of-their-kind images show an orca being born in Norway — and the rest of its pod forming a protective circle

An orca giving birth in the wild. We see blood in the water and the orcas are splashing around.

Scientists in Norway have witnessed the birth of a baby orca in the wild, first-of-their-kind pictures show.

The researchers were observing a group of orcas (Orcinus orca) during a whale-watching trip off the coast of Skjervøy in the Arctic Circle when the water around the animals suddenly turned crimson with blood, they said.