Honestly, I think if I saw this scene unfold in front of my eyes I would never recover. Imagine this...there is a beautiful shoreline on the Valdés Peninsula on the Atlantic side of Argentina. A group of sea lions are being adorable and sunning themselves along the shore. Then, out of nowhere an orca shoots like a torpedo out of the water and grabs ahold of one of the unsuspecting sea lions. Well, that is exactly what happened. Watch this footage that clearly shows the moment an orca snatches a sea lion and tosses it around like a chew toy.
Orca Snatches Sea Lion Right Off The Beach In Surprising Footage
I always seem to have a soft spot for the prey. I think that is because they are alway so cute and cuddly. Not to mention they always seem to have an innocence about them. I mean, look at this little sea lion. He was just happily splashing in the waves as they crashed along the shore. He mistakenly assumed he was safe. Then, a large black dorsal fin appears in the distance and begins swimming rapidly towards the shore.
Suddenly, an orca shoots out of the water and snatches the little sea lion right off of the beach. From there, the whale begins shaking the little mammal like it is a rag doll, as all of its friends flee for their lives. While I understand the orca's need to eat, the whole scene is a little saddening to me. However I do have to give credit where it is due.
The orca has evolved quite efficiently in order to catch its prey. The Instagram account that shared this video mentioned the development of this particular skill set. "It is still unknown how this style of hunting was developed, but if I had to guess, I would say that once upon a time, an orca chased a sea lion farther inland than ever before and discovered that this particular beach is lined with smooth stones instead of sand." Regardless of how it was learned, "Orcas remain the most cunning of all the ocean's predators."
Check out another video of a similar situation. This video, captured by a photographer, clearly shows how the orcas use the waves to their advantage to sneak up on their prey.
