Killer whales spotted hunting humpback off Sydney

It’s the time of year where it’s not unusual to see whales off the coast of Sydney, as hundreds of humpbacks migrate north to warmer waters over the winter months.

However, it is rare to see a pod of killer whales.

A Go Whale Watching Sydney tour was out in the waters off Botany Bay yesterday when the group spotted about 50 of the whales swimming together.

It’s the first time orcas have been spotted off Sydney for quite a few years, and certainly not this close to shore.

The tour boat was about six nautical miles out to sea when they came across the pod.

Go Whale Watching guide Simon Miller told 9NEWS, “I’ve been whale watching up here since 2004 and I’ve never seen the killer whales in close to shore off Sydney before”.

While they might look friendly and are in fact part of the dolphin family, killer whales are one of the world’s most powerful predators.

"They are a type C killer whale and they're predominantly found in the Ross sea down in Antarctica", said Mr Miller.  

The reason they’re in Sydney’s waters right now is to hunt for humpbacks.

They also eat great white sharks, seals – and even polar bears if given the chance.

Despite their killer instincts, there has never been a known attack on a human in the wild.

The pod was last seen heading down to NSW’s South Coast.