The ocean is full of mystery, and that mystery has the potential to provide some pretty incredible moments. Take this video ABC recently shared on TikTok yesterday, for example.
A lone paddleboarder in New Zealand was recently floating along when a couple of orcas stumbled upon him to say hello. These curious little guys got up close and personal and our paddling pal caught the incredible encounter on camera!
@abcnews“Hello, gorgeous!” A paddleboarder in New Zealand was greeted by a couple of friendly orcas that got up close and personal, hanging around and circling his board. #orcas #whales #news #abcnews
How awesome would this be? I mean, I know orcas can be unpredictable, but these two seemed so friendly! And our paddleboarding friend’s enthusiasm really gets me excited all the same. I’d be a little freaked out, sure, but I’d be just as intrigued and fascinated. What an experience! You just really never know what’s waiting for you out there.
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There’s no shortage of comments on the post as well, with more than a handful of people reminding us all that orcas are known to take out great white sharks (and even boats). They’re top predators! And just as many folks are mind-blown at how cool and calm our buddy remained throughout the encounter, mentioning they’d be as amazed as they were terrified. Let me just say… I agree with all of them!
Are Orcas friendly to humans?
Orcas might be known as top predators in the ocean, but when it comes to humans, they can be curious, friendly, and generally not very dangerous.
A big part of this is because orcas are very intelligent, social creatures, so they aren’t naturally trying to just attack or harm humans for no good reason. In fact, there have been some instances where orcas have actually helped humans who were in danger.
Although they’re known for their impressive hunting skills, an orca’s diet is actually pretty diverse—and humans aren’t necessarily on the menu. Let’s just say seals, sea lions and even whales should be a bit more worried than divers and paddleboarders, along with squid, a variety of fish and other sea creatures.
Plus, the fact that orcas typically aren’t found in areas with lots of humans means that encounters are generally pretty rare. And even when these encounters do happen, they’re non-aggressive and usually just stem from curiosity.
At the end of the day, past encounters and research will tell us that orcas are generally pretty friendly to humans. They’re usually just curious and want to say hello! And again, there’s just really no need for them to be aggressive towards humans (although it has happened on very rare occasions).
Either way, this specific encounter was a perfect example of their friendliness and curiosity. It’s a moment this lucky paddleboarder won’t ever forget, that’s for sure, and a great reminder how to act if and when you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
Just say, “Hey Gorgeous!” and paddle on.
