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Orcas Spotted Off of LA Coastline

Though they are routinely found in the waters off of California, large marine mammals like killer whales don’t usually come so close to shore – it seems they prefer to stick to the farther side of the channel islands.

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


Though they are routinely found in the waters off of California, large marine mammals like killer whales don't usually come so close to shore - it seems they prefer to stick to the farther side of the channel islands.

But yesterday, a small pod of killer whales was found in the waters between Palos Verdes and Santa Catalina Island.

KABC-TV had some nice footage of the pod:


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Amazing that this comes on the same day that a lone grey whale was spotted in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Tel Aviv!

(h/t: LAist)

Jason G. Goldman is a science journalist based in Los Angeles. He has written about animal behavior, wildlife biology, conservation, and ecology for Scientific American, Los Angeles magazine, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the BBC, Conservation magazine, and elsewhere. He contributes to Scientific American's "60-Second Science" podcast, and is co-editor of Science Blogging: The Essential Guide (Yale University Press). He enjoys sharing his wildlife knowledge on television and on the radio, and often speaks to the public about wildlife and science communication.

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