A whale-watching company was able to capture a rare sight on camera recently when a huge pod of dolphins in Monterey County was forced to swim for their lives after a killer whale attacked them.
The crca attack took place near Moss Landing Harbor, according to local ABC News affiliate KGO. A whale-watcher with Sanctuary Cruises was able to capture the footage, which shows the dolphins swimming away and leaping in desperation, causing a flurry of waves as they scatter to safety.
KGO notes that while it is rare to see dolphins in the waters off the coast of Monterey, as they tend to stay in warmer waters, they began appearing around the region last year.
The local CBS News affiliate in San Francisco reported that pods of Orca killer whales put on a show last week as they trolled the waters of Monterey Bay while hunting for baby gray whales upon which to prey.
Since 2013, there has reportedly been a decline in the local sea lion population, which has resulted in the elimination of a common food source for the killer whales. Local whale-watching companies have been reporting a greater influx of orca sightings recently.
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz.