Orcas spotted by fisherman in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

A fisherman in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, encountered orcas or killer whales for the first time while out at sea, and it was one experience that left him surprised.

According to Kuya Kim on "24 Oras," Thursday, Ronie Mercado would often see dolphins whenever he goes fishing, but a recent encounter surprised him because his boat was surrounded not by one, but five orcas.

Ronie said in the report that he felt anxious because he had seen these marine mammals become aggressive in videos on YouTube. He added that the orcas were following his boat, so he did not miss the chance to take a video.

Kuya Kim explained that orcas (scientific name Orcinus orca) earned the name "killer whale" from ancient sailors who witnessed these prey on larger species of whales, as well as seals, sharks, seabirds, and octopuses. Kuya Kim added that orcas are the largest members of all the dolphin species and are known to be intelligent creatures.

"May mga learned behavior na ina-adapt nila, intergeneration sa dolphin, especially sa hunting," Dr. AA Yaptinchay, a marine biologist, shared on "24 Oras."

Yaptinchay also said that orcas do not attack humans in the wild.

"Itong orcas, hindi kilala na nag-a-attack ng kahit anong tao sa wild. Walang fatalities na reported," he said. "Hindi 'to maganda sa intelligent animals 'di ba kasi 'yung dagat walang barriers 'to tapos very social sila."

— CDC, GMA Integrated News