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Watch: Transient orcas seen up close near Pierce County's Fox Island

Kelly Wisniewski, who took most of the video, said it was a "magical orca experience."

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — Two pods of Bigg's killer whales were filmed swimming under the Fox Island Bridge on Wednesday.

Kelly Wisniewski, who took most of the video, said it was a "magical orca experience."

The two pods seen in the video are known as T64Bs and T65As. 

Pods of transient orcas have been spotted in several inland waterways over the past few weeks, according to the Orca Network.

In April, more than 70 Bigg's killer whales were seen throughout the Salish Sea. 

Also known as transient orcas, the killer whales had a recent baby boom, with 11 calves born last year.

Bigg's killer whale pods often comprise of an adult female and two to three offspring, according to information from the Orca Network. The optimum pod size is three, so typically when a third is born, a sibling often leaves. 

Unlike Southern Resident orcas, which feed mainly on salmon and squid, transients prey exclusively on seals, sea lions, porpoises, dolphins, and other large whales.

 

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