Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell
Seal in Florida – Credit: Robert Woeger via Unsplash

 

Today’s story comes from the Good News Network

Seal Flops onto Photographer’s Boat to Escape Hunting Orca Pod–She Captured it All on Camera

By Andy Corbley –

 

An experienced wildlife photographer with a penchant for marine mammals, such as whales, recently witnessed a lone seal miraculously survive a hunt by 8 killer whales.

Far more than just bearing witness, it was more or less the photographer’s presence that allowed it to happen, as the seal escaped the jaws of the hunters by clambering up onto the boat.

Shared with AP, Charvet Drucker told her story of the encounter that began last week on a whale-watching boat. About 40 miles northwest of Seattle, in the Salish Sea, she spotted a pod of orcas, also called killer whales, and observed behavior suggesting they were hunting.

Quickly attaching her telescopic lens, the orcas splashed into action, attempting to secure a meal out of an adult seal that was thrown into the air among the scrum of black and white bodies. Her shutter rang out in her ears as Drucker observed what she thought were the seal’s last moments of life.

Suddenly, the pod altered its course and headed straight for the boat, and she realized they were still hunting the seal. Following marine life regulations, the skipper killed the engines as the pod approached to avoid harming them.

That’s when the seal flopped out of the water and onto the flat panel at the back of the boat like it would a piece of ice in the sea.

“You poor thing,” Drucker can be heard saying, as the seal looks up at her. “You’re good, just stay, buddy.”

In the wild, orcas have ways of dislodging seals from tiny icebergs, and they went straight into their playbook, even though the safe haven was a boat, not an iceberg. They began to move toward the boat and execute a series of staggered dives that create subsurface waves that can rock a seal off its perch.

First documented in 1980, the orca’s strategy worked, but none among them were fast enough to catch the seal during the brief moments that it fell back into the water. After about 15 minutes, the orcas left.

It’s not the first time Drucker has witnessed this behavior, and she usually accepts the natural order of prey-predator interactions and is happy when the orcas get to eat.

“I’m definitely Team Orca, all day, every day. But once that seal was on the boat, I kind of turned (into) Team Seal,” she said in an interview with AP last Thursday.

Apparently, orcas near Washington that feed on seals are migratory, or “transient” orcas, and tend to be better fed than “resident” orcas that seem to specialize in eating salmon.

Watch the video

The good news in this story is the seal lived to see another day. Also, one missed seal is not a big deal for the orcas. They will find more. Today’s JohnKu talks about the natural way of things. I hope you have a super weekend.

Natural by John W. Howell © 2025

Prey and predictor,

Are nature’s natural way. . .

Respect the process.

81 thoughts on “Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News”

  3. Amazing capture! I saw whales up close years ago off the coast of Maine. Powerful sight. Great Johnku about respecting the process, John.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. I saw this heart-touching story when it came out. I am happy for the seal, but it faces a tough existence.

    Like

  12. It’s hard not to be Team Seal in a situation like this. I know the orcas have to eat but man oh man… I’d rather not see it!

    Wonderful share, John. Happy Friday!

    Liked by 1 person

  24. That had to be frightening for the seal AND for the individuals on that boat, to have a pod of killer whales in pursuit. Thankfully this little guy was saved, and like you said, those orcas will find more somewhere else. On this day, it was a happy ending for the seal.

    That video is something else!

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Geez! What an adventure. The seal is so cute.

    Yes, nature will have her way, and respect is the order of the day. Still,I’m happy this tale had a good ending.

    Ah honest JohnKu!

    🦭X

    Like

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