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Killer whales off Southern California coast

Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

Two killer whales, part of an "offshore" pod of up to 40 orcas, pass a whale-watching boat off Newport Beach. It's not uncommon for the marine mammals to roam Southern California waters in search of sharks and other prey, according to the experts who track and identify them. Seeing them in such numbers, however, is unusual. See full story

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Whale-watching vessels report seeing 20 to 40 of the marine mammals, also known as orcas, swimming up the coast from Dana Point to Long Beach.