Orca Spotting

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Killer whales, or orcas, are designated as an international endangered animal. A pod of the incredible marine mammals have been observed swimming through South Korean waters for the first time.

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A school of whales appears in waters off Dadohae Haesang National Park in Jeollanam-do Province. They are six orca whales. This marks the first time a school of orca whales is seen and filmed traveling in South Korean waters.

[Soundbite] Choi Ki-hong(Official, National Park Service) : "They were found near an island. They were swimming at a speed of 20 to 30 kilometers. They were moving toward the coastal region and Wando Island."

Orca whales are known to have intelligence as good as that of human teenagers. They are also called killer whales that hunt sharks or even other whales. Experts assume that orca whales, which are designated as an international endangered species, have traveled to South Korean waters in search to eat porpoises, which are now abundant in the nation's coastal regions.

[Soundbite] Kim Cheol-do(Official, National Park Service) : "The discovery of orca whales, which are rarely observed in South Korean waters, indicates that the maritime ecosystem in national parks is very healthy."

The National Park Service plans to study the ecological features of orca whales traveling in South Korean waters by conducting maritime research on a regular basis.