Orcas kill whale off WA coast

Up to 60 killer whales have torn apart a lone beaked whale off the coast of Australia.

Paul Cross from Naturaliste Charters, who was on the boat on Saturday, said more than 40 tourists aboard couldn’t believe the sight, which happened about 60km off shore in the Bremer Bay canyon.

“No one’s ever witnessed anything like it,” said Mr Cross.

“It’s like a lion taking down a wildebeest.

“It happened so fast. People just couldn’t believe what’s unfolding.

“It can be a little bit brutal for some people but that’s nature and it’s going to happen.”

The pod of, killer whales, also known as orcas, swam up to 50km an hour to converge on the Cuvier’s beaked whale, which can dive as deep as 3km.

As they attacked, a pool of blood started to spread through the ocean.

Mr Cross said once the orcas had finished, hundreds of whaler sharks fed on remnants of the body from beneath, while birds swirled overhead.