Pod of orcas travels 170 miles in just over one day, surprising experts. ‘Impossible!’

A group of orcas recently swam 170 miles in just over one day, surprising wildlife experts.

Their speedy trek — which occurred along the coast of Canada and the U.S. — is considered an “incredible feat,” according to a June 1 news release from the Orca Behavior Institute (OBI), a conservation nonprofit.

Four Bigg’s killer whales were spotted near Rebecca Spit, about 150 miles northwest of Vancouver, at 10:50 a.m. on May 29.

By 7:15 p.m. the next day, they were again seen near Minor Island off the coast of Washington — indicating they had swam 170 miles in 33 hours.

When made aware of the location of one of the killer whales on May 30, an OBI employee was astounded: “I said: ‘Impossible!’ But, there he was!”

During the “most impressive stretch,” the animals swam 110 miles in 18 hours, making for an average speed of 6 mph.

Typically, killer whales in the area travel at half that speed when making a similar journey, wildlife officials said.

The recent voyage — documented with the help of volunteer whale watchers — is proof “that orcas can travel well over 100 miles in a day!”

When asked by McClatchy News why the animals may have undertaken such a swift journey, Monika Wieland Shields, the director of OBI, said in an email, “All we can do is speculate.”

“There is plenty of prey for them throughout their range so it’s unlikely to be motivated by food alone,” Wieland Shields said. “Perhaps there were other whales they wanted to meet up with (or perhaps even had a plan to meet up with!) or a specific location they wanted to visit for reasons unknown to us!”

Orcas, one of the fastest marine mammals, often migrate thousands of miles between seasons, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This story was originally published June 7, 2024 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Pod of orcas travels 170 miles in just over one day, surprising experts. ‘Impossible!’."