This past Saturday, our research team had the privilege of a lifetime — spotting five orcas from our research vessel “Shark Bait” just off the coast of Gansbaai. The sheer size and power of these apex predators left us in awe.

These orcas were transient, moving swiftly through the area — as they often do when patrolling our coastline. While the well-known individuals Port and Starboard were not among this group, the sighting was no less magical.

Transient orcas, unlike resident pods, are highly mobile and known to travel hundreds of kilometers along the coast, often in search of prey. In South Africa, they’ve become infamous for predating on large sharks, particularly White sharks and Broadnose Sevengill sharks.

Thankfully, despite the presence of orcas, our shark sightings have remained consistent. We’ve continued to observe incredible interactions with Bronze Whaler sharks and Sevengill sharks.

Orcas remain a symbol of both awe and complexity in our marine ecosystem. Their movements, behaviors, and impact on shark populations are a key area of study — and we are beyond grateful to have witnessed them first-hand.