Seal Saved From Being An Orcas Lunch Using Man-Made Marine Structure

In an attempt to hide from its predator, a seal used a mussel farm to hide from orcas off the Lerwick, Shetland coast. This event was captured by a drone shot by drone pilot Nick McCaffrey. After being alerted about the detailed whale sighting from a WhatsApp group and a local Facebook page, he captured the event.

(Photo: Marcelo Cidrack/Unsplash)
Great White Shark

A Seal Hiding From Orcas

A 38-minute drone footage showed that a seal tried to conceal itself between two lines of mussel ropes located at the Grunna Voe mussel farm. However, the whales captured and killed it when it emerged from hiding and headed for open water.

Emily Hague, a Ph.D. candidate at Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University, said that the interactions of seals involving man-made structures were rarely seen on camera. She said that it elevated the significance of the footage and made it very illuminating from a scientific standpoint. Hague added that it was fascinating to see that the man-made marine structures were potentially being employed by prey to conceal themselves from predators.

Yet, she warned that there might be a higher risk of entanglements if animals like seals wind up spending more time near places like fish farms and offshore energy facilities.

According to Hague, the drone video provides a new viewpoint on how marine species, in this case, two top predators, live alongside man-made structures in the seas. She pointed out that such interactions can also reveal possible dangers to marine creatures.

Hague analyzed the event in March 2022, then published the analysis in the Aquatics Mammals journal in July.

ALSO READ: Orca vs. Great White Shark in Cape Town, South Africa; Killer Whales Feast on Sharks' Livers, Driving Them Away From the Hotspot

Orcas Killing Incidents

Since 2017, at least eight great white sharks are thought to have killed two killer whales off the coast of South Africa, and many more have been driven away. Researchers monitored the Great Whites' behavior and discovered that the Great Whites had been avoiding specific areas of the Gansbaai shore.

Last year, a young member of a killer whale family was found dead and strangled in rope in Orkney, Scotland.

There was also one viral video that circulated last year about a video clip in 2016. The video showed a seal leaping onto a boat's deck from behind and scurrying to get close to the boat's motor. About five or six killer whales attempted to follow the terrified seal to the boat as it gasped for air. But fortunately, no one attempted to gorge themselves on it.

The incident occurred in British Columbia when a tour guide halted his boat while bringing his guests to a location where he thought there would be a good chance to see migratory killer whales. The poor seal tried to board the boat as the whales drew closer to the engine, then fell off. With the help of its hiding place aboard the boat, the seal outsmarted the orcas, and the pod soon left without hurting the seal.