A herd of sea lions attempting to escape a pack of killer whales in southern Chile surprised a fishing crew by trying to board their boat.
A screen grab from the video posted on ABC News.
The event was captured on a fisherman’s mobile phone as the killer whales thrashed about in the water and the sea lions headed towards the boat, en masse. The footage can be seen here.
Sea lions on the coast of Chile have been protected for the last 28 years. Hunting them for their richly prized fur is illegal. They are known to follow fishing boats, attracted by the food. They often manage to destroy nets and eat the fish inside.
Killer whales (orcas) hunt a variety of marine mammals and fish. Sea lions, seals, walruses and sea turtles make up a large part of their diet. They also eat squids, seabirds and are known to even attack whales.
