Video: 30 Killer Whales Attack Two Gray Whales Off California

A drone video shows 30 orcas attacking two gray whales off the California coastline, whale watchers reported.

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Evan Brodsky told KSBW he captured the five-hour battle with a drone from a Monterey Bay Whale Watch boat on Thursday, March 30, in Monterey Bay.

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More than two dozen Bigg’s killer whales ganged up on the gray whales, which are migrating north, Monterey Bay Whale Watch said on Facebook.

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The video, posted to Facebook, shows orcas swarming around the whales amid splashes and spouts.

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“Usually killer whales will hunt gray whale calves as they head up to their northern feeding areas with their moms,” the post read. “But these were not calves: they were huge adult gray whales!”

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The killer whales eventually broke off the attack when the gray whales split up and headed for shallower water, Monterey Bay Whale Watch said.

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Gray whales can grow up to 49 feet long and weigh 9,000 pounds, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

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Bigg’s orcas, also known as transient killer whales, roam the Pacific Northwest and prefer a diet of marine mammals as opposed to other oras, which eat mainly fish, according to OrcaLab.

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Monterey Bay is about 120 miles south of San Francisco.

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