|
A lucky escape
Photographer and conservationist Rob Lott travelled to Patagonia to study and photograph the foraging behaviour of a pod of 18 orcas. An astonishing sequence of images shows one of the orcas - a 50 year old male known as Mel - emerging from shallow icy waters towards the shore in an attempt to feed on a seal pup.
Lott spent a month studying the orcas, and out of the entire pod only seven seem to have mastered the technique of literally leaving the water to grab seals and sea lions from the shoreline.
Mel is one of the more easily recognised orcas due to his very tall dorsal fin, and has featured in the David Attenborough "Trials of Life" documentary, many years ago. This particular orca is also renowned for his hunting skills however fortunately for this seal pup, Mel wasn't as lucky on this occasion!
|
