Skinned Alive: The Disturbing Way Orcas Eat Beaked Whale

I can just see lines of hawker just surging spray coming off them. They're definitely in pursuit of something. We've got a predation. They're chasing the beaked whale right now. How long this chase has been underway is unknown but the beaked whale is desperately trying to escape. It's being chased by a female named Maxine, a member of Split Tip's pod. Split Tip herself is trailing just 10 metres behind. Alongside her, a phalanx of fellow female killers. Three stripes, Matchy, Flapper, Tarny and keeping up with the hunt a calf named Keter. Further back, the large male Wonks has also joined in. The reputation of Split Tip and her pod is well known amongst the whale watching crew. Split Tip, the queen of the canyon. One of the largest pods in the Bremer sub-basin. I've seen her predate on more beaked whales than any other animal. This pod is operating as one. Should the lead pursue a tie, another would assume her position. This is so tense. This tactic of persistence hunting is wearing down their prey. The beaked whale's best chance of escape is to dive. It's the deepest diving whale in the world, able to descend far deeper than killer whales. They can stay submerged for over three hours but they need time to recover and re-oxygenate on the surface between dives. It's precious time this beaked whale doesn't have. And to make matters more dire, Matchy is pushing its head down when it tries to take a breath. Now, just 100 meters behind the chase, another group has joined in, bringing the count to 35 killers. This is absolutely insane. The beaked whale makes a desperate attempt to escape, diving for safety, but Maxie dives in pursuit. A bubbling of blood on the surface indicates that the hunt has now reached the critical stage. Suddenly, the beaked whale is thrust to the water's surface, revealing the grisly fact that it's now being skinned alive. Mercifully, the beaked whale dies quickly. And then the feast begins. Within minutes, the pod has switched from volatile action to tenderness adults and young share in the spoils, while other sea creatures fight for the scraps. These tail slaps, known as lob tail, create a loud sound, so they could be signalling to others that food is available. Or perhaps it's simply a celebration. Absolutely amazing. I've never seen anything so special in all my life. I mean, you never think you're going to get to see anything like that. So it's like once in a lifetime. Through cooperation, these hunters have secured what they need for survival. They've passed down the hunting strategies to another generation. Their culture will live on, securing their rightful place as apex predators, the megapod of the Bremer sub-basin.