This is the moment killer whales break the water surface and gracefully arc back under in a picturesque Alaskan bay.

The orcas were filmed at the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in the US state of Alaska earlier this month.

The Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve said in a statement: “Did you know that there are many distinct ‘ecotypes’ of killer whales found in our oceans?

“In Glacier Bay, it is most common to see either ‘resident’ or ‘transient’ (also known as Bigg’s) killer whales. A third ecotype, known as ‘offshore’ killer whales, are primarily found off Glacier Bay National Park’s outer coast.”

In the video, members of the resident ‘AG pod’ are seen breaking the surface. The first whale in the footage is 27-year-old male AG25.

The national park said: “We know this from the shape of his dorsal fin and the gray area just behind the fin.

“The name ‘resident’ is a misnomer, as these whales travel widely throughout the year. The AG pod is most commonly sighted in southeastern Alaska but has also been documented in Prince William Sound and Kachemak Bay.”

Resident killer whales in the region eat salmon, which are beginning to travel back to their natal streams throughout Glacier Bay to spawn.

Leaps of salmon were spotted in the fast-moving current of Sitakaday Narrows last week.