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Orcas battle sperm whales in cetacean battle royal

A pack of killer whales with an ambitious appetite takes on a pod of sperm whales in an ocean-boiling battle, observed for the first time in the Indian Ocean

Orcas battle sperm whales in cetacean battle royal

(Image: Shawn Heinrichs/Barcroft Media)

These mighty opponents could take on – and unlike those fictional undersea combatants, their battle is real.

In the coastal waters around Sri Lanka, the waters churn and froth as a pod of killer whales ambushes another of sperm whales – the first time such a battle has been seen in the Indian Ocean. Like a pack of wolves, the marine mammals prowl the ocean in gangs and launch coordinated attacks on other whales and sharks.

The orcas break away for round two. Sperm whales are not usually on their menu because of their giant size and powerful tails that can deal deadly blows. But this time, it appears the orca pack was after a smaller juvenile whale.

These underwater images were after he leaped from a boat into the heart of the action. “I realised this was a once-in-a-life time opportunity and summoned up the courage to jump in the water and join the frenzy,” he says.

Topics: Biology / Oceans / whales and dolphins