Seal Flees Orcas by Leaping onto Wildlife Photographer’s Boat

A harbor seal being pursued by a pod of killer whales managed to survive by unexpectedly jumping onto a photographer’s boat.

Wildlife photographer Charvet Drucker captured the incredible moment a harbor seal escaped a pod of hunting orcas by jumping onto her vessel off Camano Island in Washington state, where she was out on the water taking pictures.

Drucker had rented a 20-foot boat for a whale-watching outing near her home in the Salish Sea, roughly 40 miles northwest of Seattle. She tells the Associated Press that she first noticed a group of at least eight orcas showing behaviour associated with active hunting and started taking photos. Drucker used the zoom lens of her camera and then spotted a harbor seal attempting to flee from the pod. One of her photographs captured the seal airborne above the turbulent water as the orcas closed in, and she initially assumed she was watching the animal’s final moments.

However, as the whales approached the vessel, it became clear the chase was continuing. Following marine-wildlife regulations, Drucker and the others on board had already cut the engine to minimize any risk to the whales. Moments later, the seal pulled itself out of the water and onto the small swim platform at the stern of the photographer’s boat, effectively using it as a refuge.

Although the regulations prevented anyone on board from touching or helping the animal, Drucker began recording video of the scene. In the footage, as the seal lifts its head toward her, the photographer can be heard saying, “You poor thing,” followed by, “You’re good, just stay, buddy.”

The pod did not immediately abandon the hunt. Instead, the orcas appeared to coordinate their movements, approaching the boat in formation and diving in turns to generate waves strong enough to unsettle the platform. Drucker’s cellphone video shows the boat rocking as the whales attempted to dislodge the seal.

Drucker said the effort lasted for roughly 15 minutes before the orcas ultimately moved on. The seal survived and was able to slide back into the water once the vessel was nearer to shore.

Drucker tells Associated Press that she has previously photographed orcas carrying dead seals. While the photographer says she is usually pleased when the whales are able to feed, this case felt different.

“I’m definitely Team Orca, all day, every day,” Drucker tells Associated Press. “But once that seal was on the boat, I kind of turned (into) Team Seal.”

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.