This family was sailing about in the peninsula of Palos Verdes in California when suddenly they spotted a family of orcas. They brought their little excursion to a halt in order to make the most of the magical moment they came across one of the most impressive marine creatures in the world.
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Why do we call them killer whales?
Orcas are also known as killer whales, but despite the name, they aren't considered to be particularly dangerous to humans. Unlike sharks, killer whales will only attack people if they feel threatened and there have never been any fatalities reported from whale attacks in the wild.
Killer whales are, however, fearsome and highly powerful predators, capable of taking down some pretty impressive prey. It is believed that they were originally called 'whale killers' by sailors who saw them attacking larger whales. Over time - likely through a mistranslation - this name was changed to 'killer whale'.
One other thing that might surprise you is that killer whales - or orcas - are not actually whales. They are rather the largest members of the dolphin family. They are extremely intelligent and sociable animals, communicating between themselves using echolocation.
Where do killer whales live?
Orcas can be found in every one of the world's oceans- and most of the seas. They tend to prefer higher latitudes, with particularly dense populations found on the coasts of Norway, Iceland and New Zealand as well as certain areas around the west coast of North America.
What do killer whales eat?
Killer whales are right at the top of the food chain as there are no other animals that eat them. They themselves have been known to hunt fish, seal, larger whales and even great white sharks and blue whales.
The footage that this lucky family filmed of the orcas was truly incredible... take a look at the video above to see for yourself!
