Killer Whales Chase Boat Off California for Fun ... Or a Snack?

Besides scaring the crap out of two fishermen, a pod of killer whales chasing a boat off the coast of Southern California scored a video that has gone viral with more than 864,000 views on YouTube since being posted last Saturday.

The chase took place about five miles from San Diego. The orcas can seen following the boat, and at one point one of them swims directly underneath it.



The caption on the video notes that the 20-foot fishing boat wandered into a pod of about 30 orcas and when the fishermen tried to leave, they were followed by a few of the huge whales.

"Orcas are called killer whales for a reason ... so when they're p***** off and you're in their turf, you better hightail it out of there ... just like what these fishermen had to do," said TMZ. "Two fishermen were in for the scare of their lives while fishing in San Diego last week ... having to escape from a pod of irritated orcas."

The two fishermen aren't sure if the killer whales are after them or just playing. After a bit, one of them -- they both excitedly call each other "Dude" -- actually sticks his arm under water to film them. Would you do that around hungry orcas?

Related to dolphins, orcas usually hunt and travel in groups consisting of up to 30 of them, said Mashable. Orcas, though, rarely attack humans because we probably don't appeal to their killer palates, said KQED. What, not enough blubber?

"In a simple, biological scale they are bigger and stronger than we are, have sharper teeth, and they're carnivores," said Ethan Morris of KQED. "Any similar creature might see humans as a tasty little snack, but not orcas. … A more scientific explanation might be that we're simply not tasty enough to be included on the killer whales' menu."

What orcas do like to munch on are other marine animals like sea lions, porpoises, and even other whales, according to KING-TV. A private whale watching tour saw a group of transient killer whales attack a sea lion that weighed about 1,000 pounds this week near Lopez Island in Washington state, according to the television station.

Transient orcas tend to travel in smaller groups, usually only three or four, and stay closer to the shore. There are about 320 transient orcas between California and Southeast Alaska, according to the Orca Network.

Oh, yeah, the two fishermen got away.

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