One of the few animals they've never attacked in the wild is human or, at least, no one has survived to report it.

At Peninsula Valdes, when the weather turns too rough to hunt the beach, Mel and Mage can wait for the sea lions to come to them.

The pup's mother needs to eat.

She's nursed her youngster for two consecutive days, and now has to leave for the fishing grounds.

She may be gone for four days.

To reach open water, she braves a gauntlet of killer whales.

Maga's group blocks the exit routes.

Starving, she has to find a way through.

She can race across the shallows, hoping that the orcas won't risk getting caught on the rocks or make a quick dash for a nearby island.

When the coast is clear, she takes off, swimming as far as 320 kilometers to reach fishing grounds.