Several orcas from Mexico were spotted off Los Angeles County on Monday, attracting crowds of whale watchers.
The Eastern Tropical Pacific killer whales (ETPs) were hunting dolphins but became extremely boat friendly at times, riding wakes and interacting with passengers.
One prominent captain, Ryan Lawler of Newport Coastal Adventure and Pacific Offshore Expeditions, capitalized on a rare opportunity to capture a video selfie with one of the mammals. (Footage posted below.)
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Alisa Schulman-Janiger of the California Killer Whale Project was with Lawler and said about a dozen orcas were present, traveling in sub-groups. They included two small calves.
“They mugged every boat,” Schulman-Janiger said, referring to the friendly behavior. (Video below shows mugging behavior.)
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Passengers watched the ETPs ram and kill a large bottlenose dolphin, an adult common dolphin, and a common dolphin calf.
The sighting initial sighting was logged at 8:30 a.m. in the Catalina Channel, seven miles off San Pedro, by Catalina Express Capt. Mike Jackson.
News quickly spread and vessel operators hurried to locate the gregarious mammals.
ETP orcas, which are fairly common in the Sea of Cortez and elsewhere in Mexico, rarely visit Southern California. But when they do it becomes a major event for marine mammal enthusiasts.
Schulman-Janiger said the ETPs were last spotted Monday evening seven miles off Lunada Bay, at the southern edge of Santa Monica Bay.
