Three mammal-eating orca pods have been spotted near Seattle, raising questions about their origins and movements. The Orca Behavioral Institute, a Seattle-based non-profit research organization, identified the pod as a mother and two offspring, one of which is a full-grown male. The pod apparently traveled 1,500 to 2,000 miles (2,400 to 3,200 kilometers) south from Alaska. This unusual sighting could indicate a shift in prey availability, ocean conditions, or the whales' behavior. The arrival raises many more questions about which population the pods are from and how long they will stay.