Orcas leaping near coastal shore
On Wednesday, a local family was fortunate enough to witness an extraordinary spectacle while fishing at the Point on Cape Hatteras. Amiee Dean and her family reported seeing killer whales, more commonly known as orcas, leaping out of the water just about 30 yards off the shore. Dean’s 10-year-old son, who has a keen interest in marine biology and always has his camera ready, captured a few beautiful shots marking their once-in-a-lifetime experience.
According to Dean, they were not the only ones who spotted the marine giants. The eye-catching scene was witnessed by numerous beachgoers. “We were just sitting there fishing and suddenly they started jumping out of the water,” said Dean. There was apparently a local boater who also spotted the whales, with one even trailing his craft for a short while before he quickly departed from the area.
The marine mammals were not just breaching the surface in a playful display, but they seemed to be on a hunting mission. Dean indicates that the killer whales were jumping and barrel-rolling, possibly chasing some sort of prey. Furthermore, a few seconds after the apparition of the orcas, bluefish were eagerly attacking fishing lines, suggesting a stirred underwater ecosystem.
Orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family and worldwide, they can be found gracing the oceans with their presence. However, their appearance along the coast of the Eastern United States and specifically the Outer Banks of North Carolina is an infrequent event. The North Carolina State Parks website records that the last time a pod of orcas was seen in the area was in March of 2011 near Oregon Inlet.
These majestic creatures can grow up to 31 feet long and can weigh as much as 22,000 pounds, according to scientific reports. Despite being called killer whales, Orcas are seldom seen even well offshore in North Carolina, and the last reported stranding in the state happened way back in 1926.
The Dean family, who reside in Austinville, have been visiting the Outer Banks for 14 years. Although they have appreciated the marine and coastal beauty of the area on many accounts, the recent surprisingly close encounter with the orcas has been a unique spectacle. “It will probably never happen again unless we go on a cruise to Alaska or something, but it is enough to always remember them,” reflects Dean.