Flipping shell! Extraordinary moment a whale throws a TURTLE into the air before eating it as a snack 

  • Killer whale caught the turtle while swimming in the Galapogas Islands 
  • It then began throwing the turtle metres high into the air while teasing it
  • But after several minutes the animal met its fate and was gobbled by the orca 

By Jennifer Newton for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

This is the moment a killer whale teases it prey by flipping a turtle into the air before eating it as a snack.

The orca threw the small turtle metres high into the air in the Bolivar Channel in Ecuador after capturing it in the sea.

He then played with it for several minutes before the turtle met its fate and was gobbled up.

The killer whale teases it prey by grabbing hold of the turtle it captured in the sea in the Galapogas Islands 

The killer whale teases it prey by grabbing hold of the turtle it captured in the sea in the Galapogas Islands 

The orca threw the small turtle metres high into the air as it teased the animal after capturing it

The orca threw the small turtle metres high into the air as it teased the animal after capturing it

The incredible video of the animals was taken by tour guide Phil Courter during a boat trip around the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Fernandina Island.

Delighted passenger Fernando Diez, 33, 'never imagined' he'd see the event, even though it's not uncommon for Orcas to tease their prey in this way.

The marketing manager said: 'It was incredible.

'We knew the Orcas were feeding in these waters as we were returning from our snorkeling excursion, but never imagined we would see them playing with their food like this.

'It is not too common for Orcas to feed on sea turtles, and our guide believed that they were playing with the turtle because they weren't really hungry.

The whale then played with it for several minutes before the turtle met its fate and was gobbled up

The whale then played with it for several minutes before the turtle met its fate and was gobbled up

'After several minutes of playing with it, the Orca ended up eating the sea turtle.'

Killer whales tend to feed on sea birds, squid, octopus as well as sea turtles and other fish.

They can be found in most oceans around the world but sightings of them are usually rare.

The incredible video of the animals was taken by tour guide Phil Courter during a boat trip around the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Fernandina Island

The incredible video of the animals was taken by tour guide Phil Courter during a boat trip around the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Fernandina Island

 

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