Some visitors to Antarctic waters got the show of a lifetime when several orcas went on the hunt for a penguin. Instead of simply nabbing the penguin, though, the orcas were playing with their food. Actually, it looked like the adult orcas in the group were showing a juvenile orca the ropes as onlookers clung to hope for the little penguin.
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A person named Adam (adamlindemann1) shared his footage of the dramatic encounter on Instagram, and it has nearly 30 million views. As the scene plays out in the water, you can hear people on the boat cheer for the penguin and comment on how “unfair” the situation seems. A couple of people offscreen note that the penguin chase is the craziest thing they’ve ever seen.
Several folks in the comments section note that orcas can easily kill an isolated penguin, so this display must be something other than just hunting.
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“As someone who’s studied killer whales (and cetacean behaviour) for years, I can confirm this is most likely play/observational learning behaviour,” wrote one person. “If the orcas wanted to actively hunt and k*ll the penguin, they would’ve done so easily. You can see the adults strategically placing the penguin in front of the juveniles and showing a behaviour in hope the younger orcas will repeat it. Sad day for that penguin but absolutely fascinating behaviour to witness in the wild. A very rare and special opportunity with such a beautiful ecotype.”
Watch orcas chase a penguin in the Antarctic here:
Header stock image by S_Lew/Getty Images
