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Viral Video Shows Seal Leap Onto Boat to Evade Orcas Off Camano Island

Witnesses say they cut the engine to avoid interfering with the hunt.

Overview

  • The Nov. 2 encounter in Washington’s Saratoga Passage was filmed by photographer Charvet Drucker during a whale-watching outing.
  • Eyewitnesses reported classic predation behavior by the orcas, and one account described a pod of 11 Bigg’s orcas, a detail not independently verified.
  • The seal jumped onto the small boat and wedged into a secure spot as the vessel remained stationary with its engine off.
  • The whales circled the boat for about 15 minutes before moving on, and the seal later left the boat on its own near shore.
  • The citizen-shot footage was posted on social media and has since been reported by multiple outlets, including USA TODAY and UPI.