Transient Orcas Attack Minke Whale

Wednesday, June 30, 2004
ARGENTINA - A herd of six killer whales led by an adult male attacked and forced the grounding of an eight meters long minke whale that finally died in a beach of Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina where a huge crowd gathered to see the unbelievable and bloody spectacle. The deadly hunt occurred last Monday when the minke whale severely bitten and bleeding finally ended on the rocky side of Golondrina bay while the predators circled fifty meters away waiting for her to return to the Beagle channel.

Much of the chase and attacks by the killer whales were filmed and photographed by many of the Ushuaia tourists and residents who gathered for a once in a lifetime experience, some moaning and crying each time the defenseless victim was attacked.

The peak of action was when the leader of the gang closed in and grabbed the minke’s tail mercilessly pulling and pulling in a desperate attempt to liberate the huge cetacean that would then have been devoured by the waiting predators.

However the whale finally died of asphyxia caused by the heavy weight of her own body on the lungs.