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Killer whale throws sea turtle into the air next to tour boat

By Ben Hooper
A killer whale throws a sea turtle into the air. Screenshot: Storyful
A killer whale throws a sea turtle into the air. Screenshot: Storyful

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QUITO, Ecuador, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- A passenger on a whale watching boat in Ecuador captured video of an orca throwing a a large sea turtle high into the air.

The Quasar Expeditions group posted a video to YouTube showing the pod of killer whales going after a sea turtle Mary 29 in the Galapagos Islands' Bolivar Channel, off the coast of Fernandina Island.

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The video, recorded by passenger Phil Courter, shows one of the orcas jumping into the air and throwing the sea turtle high over its head.

"Though transient orca pods are not uncommon in the Galapagos, they are only seen very infrequently by visitors," the YouTube post said. "Transients are opportunistic predators and feed on species including sea lions, dolphins, fish and in this case, green sea turtles."

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