A pod of killer orcas was seen attacking two adult gray whales off the coast of California, and the images were taken using a drone piloted by Ivan Brodsky, who was at sea with the Monterey Bay Whale Watch.

The rare footage shows a group of more than 30 orcas trying to devour gray whales alive, in a battle that lasted over the course of five hours. As reported by the Daily Mail.

The beginning of the attack

Although it is not uncommon for orcas to attack gray whales, they usually target this size, and in this case, it is very early in the season for orcas to attack gray whales that have not yet reached the area which makes the attack very unusual.

Brodsky was able to observe the attack until the gray whales finally separated from the group and were able to swim into the shallow waters, “five hours into an attack by more than twenty killer whales on two adult gray whales, and an attempted predation – which was unsuccessful,” Brodsky said.

Whale collision

Fatal attack between two whales

Killer whales usually hunt the gray whale on their way to northern feeding grounds with their mothers, but the gray whales that were attacked managed to reach shallow waters and distance themselves from the orcas.

Killer attack