Screenshot from one of Mike Slaughter’s videos of the event.
A group of fishermen were surprised to see an unexpected sight this week on July 24th. In the warm and high-record waters of the area, instead of finding schools of fish, they came across a pod of weaving orca whales. It was something they didn’t expect to see. The Straits of Florida, located between Cuba and mainland Florida, offer unparalleled opportunities for fishermen to find various sought-after sportfish species. Some of these species include barrelfish, queen snapper, sailfish, swordfish, and marlin. Fishermen can find these incredible fishing opportunities just off the coast of the Florida Keys.
Orcas. The team is astonished and a black and white outline emerges from the depths in a bewildering, “Am I perceiving what I believe I am perceiving?” Type of instance, when they arrived at a location abundant with bird movement in 1700 feet of water, Mike Slaughter and his friends were taken by surprise as they observe blood in the ocean while on a mission to find swordfish in the Florida Straits about 19 miles off Key Largo.
Orca Whales in the Florida Keys?
However, the term “dolphin killer” is quite misleading. Orcas, technically, are a part of the Infraorder Cetacea, which includes porpoises, dolphins, and whales. They are further divided into toothed whales and baleen whales, with orcas possessing a row of 4-sharp razor-like teeth to prey on unfortunate dolphins.
“It was very impressive, you could detect it,” states Slaughter. One of the killer whales emerged from the sea and carried a massive chunk of meat in its mouth at a certain moment. Individuals from the inquisitive group appeared near the boat in a sequence of extraordinary occurrences, silently examining the ship and its crew before submerging again to resume their activities.
This event could be dismissed as a fish tale, as there is no need for concrete evidence. However, Slaughter was able to capture a few short videos on his phone as proof. He remained around the pod of 7 to 5 orca whales for a long enough time.
The news of the shocking story quickly spread with the help of local news coverage and social media. I heard residents of the Keys sharing the sighting and the talk was buzzing everywhere I went on the way to West Key. The talk of the town was the orca pod. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. All the locals were asking me if I had seen the videos and I was actually on assignment in Key Largo when the sighting occurred.
Why Were Orca Whales in Florida?
This encounter was truly uncommon, with approximately 50,000 orcas globally. Typically found in the significantly colder waters of Antarctica and between California and Alaska, as well as existing. Although not completely unheard of. Capt. Bill Chrisman of No Regrets Sport Fishing revealed that he is aware of a captain who previously witnessed an orca whale near the Cay Sal Bank in the Bahamas four to five decades ago.
Kirk Biologist Marine suggests that the recent warmer waters have affected the normal feeding patterns of orcas in the North, forcing them to hunt for food farther in the waters. A subset of orcas, known as Caribbean orcas, were captured on video in the southeastern waters of the Lesser Antilles and the Caribbean, indicating that they call those waters home as well.
How Rare Are Orcas in Florida?
“A complete group of killer whales” is even more uncommon to observe, but discovering one so near to the equator is relatively uncommon, according to Linaje. “Killer whales can be observed practically anywhere in the sea,” clarifies Linaje, which might clarify the animals’ surprising presence, as the Straits of Florida are reported to possess the greatest concentration of fish in the Atlantic Ocean, according to one source.
According to Marine Mammal Scientist and FIU Biological Sciences professor Jeremy Kiszka, it seems that there are at least four sizable female killer whales and one male present in the pod. These killer whales have been previously researched in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Bahamas.
This is the Output: “This and the remaining videos on Mike Slaughter’s webpage are available here. Take a look at one of the videos shared on Capt. Bill Chrisman’s Instagram which confirms it. Slaughter expressed on social networks, “It was incredible and a unique experience!”