Archive · 15 Nov 2025
Seal Escapes Orca Hunt by Jumping Onto Photographer's Boat
Imagine a seal is playing in the ocean, and suddenly a group of killer whales, like a team of hunters, shows up!
The seal gets scared and swims really fast to get away.
The killer whales are super fast too and chase it.
The seal is so scared that it jumps right out of the water and onto a nearby boat!
The boat belongs to someone taking pictures of the animals.
The killer whales don't give up easily and try to bump and rock the boat so the seal falls off.
But the seal holds on tight and even climbs back on when it slips.
After a while, the killer whales get tired or find something else to do and swim away, leaving the seal safe on the boat.
A harbor seal escaped an orca hunt by jumping onto a photographer's boat.
The incident occurred in the Salish Sea near Seattle involving at least eight killer whales.
The orcas used a 'wave-washing' technique to try and make the seal fall off the boat.
The seal managed to stay on the boat and eventually the orcas left.
The photographer noted she was 'Team Orca' but switched to 'Team Seal' when the animal sought refuge.
- Who
- A harbor seal, a pod of at least eight Bigg's orcas, and wildlife photographer Charvet Drucker
- What
- A seal being hunted by orcas escaped by climbing onto a photographer's boat, and the orcas attempted to dislodge it by rocking the boat.
- When
- Recent whale watching trip
- Where
- Waters off Seattle in the Salish Sea
- Why
- The orcas were hunting the seal for food, and the seal sought refuge from the predators.
- Location
- Salish Sea, near Seattle
- Marine Mammals Involved
- Harbor Seal, Bigg's (Transient) Orcas
- Orca Pod Size
- At least eight
- Seal's Escape Method
- Climbed onto a photography boat
- Orca Hunting Tactic
- Wave-washing to rock the boat
- Duration of Encounter
- Approximately 15 minutes