A pod of more than 60 “offshore” orcas, or killer whales, were seen in California’s Monterey Bay on December 26, after not being sighted in the area since 2021, according to local reports.Footage captured that day by Evan Brodsky of Monterey Bay Whale Watch shows several such “offshore” orcas swimming side-by-side.The North Pacific Offshore orcas get their name from their tendency to live in deep waters far away from coastlines, making them a rare sight, according to marine scientists.“This ecotype is very different from the killer whales we see most often in Monterey Bay, the mammal hunters or ‘transient’ (Bigg’s) type,” Brodsky told Storyful. “The offshores are not seen very often but usually occur off California during the winter months and the last time they were seen here in Monterey Bay in large numbers was in November 2021.” Credit: Evan Brodsky/Monterey Bay Whale Watch via Storyful