When you’re in the outdoors, you should do your best to stay away from wildlife. However, there are times when animals decide to get up close and personal, and there’s little you can do about it. This is true even with 7,000-pound animals. A recent guided kayaking trip in New Zealand proved worth the money as multiple orcas popped up to say hello to the boaters.
Just a warning: there is some language in the video, but what would you do if an animal nicknamed a “killer whale” was suddenly feet from your plastic boat?
Here’s the video:
The post is from Kaikoura Kayaks, a tour guide company off the south island of New Zealand. The company is named after the town of Kaikoura, known for its abundant sea life, including whales.
In the video, the orcas have already arrived on the scene. The group of tourists are yelling in excitement, with just a drop of fear. At times, the animals appear to be just inches from the kayaks.
It’s safe to assume the company’s guides often see wildlife, but this incident was notable.
“Our guides had a pretty epic encounter with some very inquisitive orca yesterday afternoon,” the company wrote on their Instagram post. “Such a surreal experience, and yes, tears were shed.”
One of the comments asked, “Do orcas ever attack humans?”
While there were several cases of orcas attacking boats last year, attacks on humans are essentially nonexistent in the wild. Biologists say there are no documented intentional attacks on record, at least in the wild.
Another kayak guide company in British Columbia says if you’re on a kayak and approached by an orca, the best thing to do is stay calm.
