A frightened otter narrowly escaped a killer whale trying to hunt it down by jumping onto a boat that happened to be nearby.
John Dornellas, a professional freedive instructor who works with an exploration boat company, filmed the once-in-a-lifetime interaction while on an excursion in Alaska, United States.
‘This is the dramatic moment a genius otter being chased by a killer whale hops onto a boat for safety with just seconds to spare. In the incredible footage, captured in Halibut Cove, Alaska, on Sunday July 26, the otter is first seen roughly 200yds away from John Dornellas’ boat, swimming frantically as the orca follows,’ the YouTube description reads.
‘As it reaches John’s boat the otter swims around the outside, looking for a safe haven to climb onto as the orca closes in. Eventually, the otter jumps up onto the transom of John’s vessel moments before the whale arrives at the surface just feet away.’
‘What an unreal experience. We took the engines out of gear about two hundred yards off and watched an otter come swimming full speed at my boat, the orca chasing behind. I have to say, this is not how I imagined how my morning would start,’ Dornellas posted on Instagram.
Dornellas then headed for Halibut Cove Lagoon some distance away where the otter plunged safely back into the water. He later discovered the orca, ID number AT163, was the largest in its pod.
Take a look at the incredible encounter:
Image credit: Screenshot
