Whale watchers get stunning, close-up view of Orcas hunting dolphins off the coast of Southern California as marine mammals engage in a tense game of cat and mouse

Whale watchers off the coast of Southern California were captivated by the up-close sight of a pod of killer whales hunting dolphins.

Earlier this month, an orca was spotted near San Diego engaged in a harrowing game of cat and mouse with a dolphin.

In a more recent sighting, the marine mammals were seen actively chasing and biting a dolphin, all unfolding within visible range of California mariners and tourists.

The remarkable closeness of these encounters continues to provide a unique experience for lucky whale watchers, as similar orcas have been spotted jumping in and out of the water at Laguna Beach this weekend.

Guides from Gone Whale Watching San Diego posted a video earlier this month that captured a close-up of an orca chasing a dolphin, saying, “What a year it's been to see orcas earn their namesake!”

Earlier this month, an orca was spotted engaging in a harrowing game of cat and mouse with a dolphin near San Diego

The remarkable proximity of these encounters continues to provide a unique experience for lucky whale watchers after watching the orcas leap in and out of the water at Laguna Beach this weekend.

The tour company also noted that the dolphin, which is fighting for its life in the video, is normally at the top of the food chain

Orcas recently nursed calves and hunted dolphins in Southern California, as captured in numerous photos and videos

The company reported that it was their third orca encounter this year and the ninth dolphin hunt they had been fortunate enough to witness.

“While it would be easy to feel sorry for the dolphin, we would feel just as bad if we found a starving orca,” the company wrote in the caption alongside the video.

The tour company also noted that the dolphin, which is fighting for its life in the video, is normally at the top of the food chain.

“However, only one species can truly be the apex predator, and the apex predator wears black and white,” it wrote.

Another social media user enthusiastically shared the footage of killer whales chasing a dolphin near San Diego, saying: “I can't believe what I just saw.”

Orcas recently nursed calves and hunted dolphins in Southern California, as they were captured in countless photos and videos.

This weekend, a group of people on a Newport Coastal Adventure tour caught some whales on camera chasing a dolphin, which they later saw eating.

A pod of killer whales has been spotted off the coast of Southern California several times in the past month

The company posted the clip to social media, writing, “Orca madness again at Laguna Beach today! What more can we say other than this amount of activity is simply unprecedented!!”

“It looks like they've found a new hunting ground and there's no telling how long they'll stay there.”

Orcas are technically the largest member of the dolphin family. A male can grow to almost 30 feet long and weigh almost 22,000 pounds.

This particular group consists of eastern tropical Pacific killer whales, which are found in the waters of Mexico and Central America, but sometimes travel as far west as Hawaii.

Earlier this month, a pod of nearly a dozen orcas, including two calves, were spotted on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

'These are mammal-eating orcas and yesterday they were actively hunting dolphins. They ended up killing two dolphins,” said Jessica Rodriguez of Newport Coastal Adventures.

The group was spotted chasing a dolphin this weekend

The chase, which took place off the coast of Orange County, ended in tragedy for the dolphin, which the orcas later saw feeding

Observers have dubbed the season 'Killer Whale Madness' and called the sighting a 'Something you only experience once in your life.'

Orcas typically travel in groups of up to 40 members.

Each pod has its own distinct clicking sound, making it easy for members to recognize and communicate with each other.

Of the three species of killer whales, it is estimated that nearly 200 transient killer whales live off the coast of California, hunting marine mammals.

Orca migration patterns are unpredictable. They appear sporadically, meaning the chance of seeing them off the coast of California is fleeting.