The Orcas we noticed of Sri Lanka in 2013. I discover we did have {a photograph} of the assault on a beaked whale

Within the submit right here I described how, on 25 November 2013, we had seen two Orcas off Dondra Head in Sri Lanka whereas heading out to see Blue Whales. I continued:

Then issues acquired much more attention-grabbing. A fellow traveller on the Naturetrek tour whale-watching extension despatched us a nonetheless {photograph} which confirmed the orcas pushing what gave the impression to be some type of dolphin with a brownish coloration across the base of a beak. I had missed it on video as I modified positions however might simply see the tip of the motion as I started to movie once more. Different photographers had despatched stills to OPSL [Orca Project Sri Lanka] they usually in flip requested specialists on marine mammals. Right here is an extract from OPSL’s submit of 19 December 2013 (the images are proven there):

…OPSL in collaboration with Josh McInnes of the The Transient Killer Whale Analysis Venture are at present writing a small paper on a really thrilling discovering. When OM001 and OK008 visited Mirissa on the twenty fifth of November, they determined to chow down on the native marine-life…so what’s on their menu? Seems they like Beaked whale, deep diving and little-understood cetaceans of the Ziphiidae household…Commentary particulars embody the orcas feeding on an unidentified object. In two of the photographs, a beak or rostrum might be seen with a patchy brown/inexperienced colouration to the encompassing pores and skin. OPSL contacted Josh McInnes, who specializes within the research of mammal-eating (transient) killer whales of the Pacific Northwest, to supply his opinion on the ID. After wanting on the photographs, Josh concluded that the beak form and brown/inexperienced colouration (brought on by diatoms) seems to be in step with that of a Blainville’s beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris.

A few weeks in the past I used to be wanting by means of the nonetheless pictures AJP had taken. I used to be doing so as a way to put them by means of Topaz DeNoise AI—an ideal piece of software program that reduces drmatically the consequences of diffraction in cameras with small sensors. After I enlarged one on display screen there was the orca and in entrance of it, the beaked whale. The podium of the latter might be seen clearly.

Right here is the {photograph} from the closely cropped model to the total body:

I’ve amended the unique article.

OPSL’s website is effectively value a go to as a result of it supplies hyperlinks to particulars of the Orcas that we noticed in addition to the others noticed off Sri Lanka and the place they went subsequent on this planet.