Watch these swimmers on Hahei Beach, New Zealand flee from a killer whale, aka an orca, last weekend. "You guys are idiots," says the cameraperson. Killer whales don't attack people in the wild. From the New Zealand Herald:

"They came in very close, about 10 metres from shore," (said Gary Hinds, chairman of the Hot Water Beach Lifeguard.)

It's a sight locals see about once to twice a season.

"They come in to feed on stingrays and stuff like that," Mr Hinds said.

"Some people don't see them, but the ones who do are in awe of seeing these orcas so close into the shore."

Surf lifesavers kept an eye on the situation to ensure people kept a safe distance and didn't get into trouble going out to look.

Read the rest

A pod of orcas, aka the a-holes of the ocean, got recorded by a drone as they harassed a blue whale that was minding its own business. Read the rest

A paper published this summer looked into over 100 times humpbacks were observed disrupting orcas who are hunting, like these humpbacks trying to save a gray whale and calf. But why do they do it? Read the rest

SER DAVOS: Well, hello there, little fellow? Who's that behind you? Read the rest

SeaWorld, battered by criticism over its captive orcas, has promised to acquire no more of them. The decision comes after years of fading business fortunes in the wake of a disturbing documentary about the animals' psychological condition and associated human deaths. Read the rest

After years of public outrage, the disturbing exposé Black Fish and fading business fortunes, SeaWorld is to end its use of killer whales in shows in San Diego.

But new California regulations also played a big part in the decision, and it appears the circus will go on at locations in Texas and Florida.

The San Diego Union-Tribune:

Friday, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, said he plans to introduce federal legislation that would prohibit the breeding of captive orcas, end the capture of wild orcas and stop the import and export of the killer whales.

For now, the tank enlargement initiative in San Diego will be on hold, Manby said.

"We know, with the regulatory environment out there with orcas and what’s happened in California with the reputation, we’d be foolish if we didn’t look at options," Manby said. "...We're not comfortable putting $100 million into a market when there are regulatory questions. Until that whole issue settles, then we’ll make a decision at that time."

The move away from performances featuring killer whales, though, is not likely to silence its critics who still want to see the end of captive breeding.

“Today’s acknowledgement by SeaWorld does not end our push to halt inhumane orca captivity and breeding practices, but it’s a step in the right direction," said Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego. "More importantly, SeaWorld’s announcement contradicts their earlier statements that the company could not be profitable unless orcas were forced to participate in these circus-like shows...Clearly, SeaWorld can move away from being a giant circus that harms animal life and still have a viable business model.”