#ca51a's

4/26/2019 - CA51A’s and CA50B chase birds and salmon as practice!

1/24/18 - Amazing shots of the CA51A’s and CA50B hunting a California sea lion!

From Newport Coastal Adventure’s Facebook page on the encounter:

It might be the pinnacle of a whale watching experience: to witness the ocean's apex predator, the Orca, chase down and capture another marine mammal. Today we got to witness a pod of 5 Orcas consume a sea lion, stalk a pod of common dolphin, and chase another sea lion into a kelp bed in only 60 feet of water just off the shoreline.

This pod was the CA51A matriline, which we last saw off Newport Beach December 6 2016, joined by the male CA50B which is a new sighting for us! (Thanks Alisa Schulman-Janiger)

This all occurred during a special 8 hour trip which enabled us to respond to a sighting made this morning by Marina del Rey Whale Watching in the Santa Monica Bay.

1/28/18 - The CA51A subpod spotted off Ventura, CA.

9/22/17 - CA50B (back) with the CA51A’s. In the front is CA51A2 Andy.

12/8/16 - The CA51A subpod spotted two miles from Newport Beach, CA.

The matriarch CA51A is the 25-year old daughter and oldest offspring of CA51 “Star.” CA51A and her two offspring will occasionally meet up and travel with Star’s pod.

10/4/18 - Two family groups, I believe the CA51A’s plus CA50B and another group, interacting, feeding, playing, and milling together.

Some interesting behaviors: the juveniles played with some common murres, slapping and flipping them in the air with their flukes and spyhopping with them in their mouths. At one point, the group lines up close to the stern of the boat, milling around and possibly resting or observing the boat. Very cool!