Two orcas were spotted off Gearing’s Point in Hermanus this morning. This followed reports of the animals’ journey possibly from Plettenberg Bay.
Spotted by a kayaking guide from Walker Bay Adventures in Whale Coast waters, early videos suggest the killer whales attacked a whale and its calf in Jongensfontein. This incident happened along the Southern Cape coast.
The sighting came after kayaking activities in Hermanus were cancelled due to weather conditions. As a result, the guide headed out in the hope of spotting the orcas.
The two animals are believed to be the same orcas reported in sightings stretching from Plettenberg Bay to Jongensfontein. In the latter area, two killer whales were filmed pursuing a whale calf earlier this week.
A sighting in Struisbaai had also been suggested, although it was not independently confirmed.
Footage of the encounter near Jongensfontein reportedly showed two orcas pursuing a humpback whale calf while the mother attempted to protect it. Meanwhile, the calf was reported to have survived the encounter. Its mother was believed to have survived too.
The Hermanus sighting adds to a series of reported orca sightings along the coastline in recent days.
However, it has not been confirmed whether the animals spotted off Gearing’s Point were the same ones involved in the pursuit.
Orcas, also known as killer whales, are apex predators that hunt a range of marine animals, including other whales. Their presence along the Southern Cape coast has drawn attention. This is because encounters involving the pursuit of whale calves are rarely witnessed so close to shore.
The sighting in Hermanus offered a potential opportunity to observe the animals locally, despite the weather preventing scheduled kayaking activities.
It is confirmed that the killer whales spotted were not Port and Starboard, the infamous male killer whales known for hunting sharks in the Overberg area.
