Humpback, Orca, Right Whales Encountered Off North American, Irish Coasts

Rare sightings of killer whales, or orcas, have been reported in various coastal regions, including off California, Ireland, and potentially the English Channel. Off California, a pod of nine orcas, identified by the California Killer Whale Project, was observed interacting with humpback whales, highlighting the orcas' social nature and their use of underwater sounds for communication and hunting. In Ireland's Dingle Bay, a critically endangered lone male orca named Aquarius was spotted alone, marking a significant event given his usual companionship with another bull orca, John Coe. Additionally, observations off Newfoundland showed right whales swimming alongside pilot whales, an unusual association likely driven by social behavior rather than shared feeding habits. These sightings underscore the complexity of marine mammal interactions and the conservation challenges faced by endangered whale populations across different oceans.