I saw this amazing Clip at the end of the PBS Newshour on Jan 31st.  It shows aerial footage of 4 Orcas hunting a seal, using pack behavior.  It’s pretty cool.  Over and over the Orcas charge the ice flow that the seal is lying on, swamping it and knocking the seal into the water.

Each time the seal scrambles back up onto the ice before they can get him.  But his perch becomes increasingly perilous.  At one point the ice splits in half, and then the Orcas nearly capsize it.  On their last run, one of the Orcas splits off to try to grab the seal.  But the seal gets away onto a new ice flow.  Eventually the seal, named “Kevin” by the scientists watching this, sees an opportunity to escape, and he makes a run for it.

So Kevin got away.  Which is a nice ending for us humans.  Although one has to realize that the Orcas go hungry in this scenario.  Nature is truly “red in tooth and claw”, and for every winner there is a loser.

If anyone doubts that Orcas are highly intelligent and have language that allows them to coordinate their hunts, this clip will dispel any doubt.  Check it out here:

http://www.tpt.org/pbs-newshour/video/newshour-shares-1517445056/