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Orca the dolphin killer: Families see astonishing attack while enjoying nature trip

2010-03-30 14:21 BJT

This is the shocking moment a killer whale leapt from the sea to kill an exhausted dolphin.

The six-ton hunter chased the female dolphin through the waves before slamming into her, flipping her 30 feet into the air
The six-ton hunter chased the female dolphin through the waves before 
slamming into her, flipping her 30 feet into the air

The six-ton hunter had chased the female dolphin through the waves before swimming up under her and slamming into her, flipping her 30 feet into the air and breaking her back.

The dolphin died almost instantly and the killer whale, or orca, and the rest of its pod then closed in to devour her and her helpless youngster, turning the sea red.

What makes this remarkable is that it was witnessed by a group of tourists – experts said a sighting of killer whales hunting a dolphin was 'almost unheard of'.

The drama happened at a seaside beauty spot called Black Rocks, in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand.