A young girl enjoyed an unforgettable orca encounter Tuesday as two of the sleek mammals surfaced repeatedly alongside her and her mother as they strolled on a public dock.
The accompanying footage, captured by Rachel Haight in Puget Sound, Wash., shows the girl in awe after the initial appearance of one orca just a few feet from a dock that sits almost at water level.
As she tries to anticipate where it might pop up next, the orca surfaces and exhales loudly just behind the girl, causing her to turn and playfully admonish, “You did that on purpose!”
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After a second orca surfaces, she exclaims to her mother: “I am glad I tagged along!”
Viewers will want to watch the entire clip to see the girl’s suspenseful stroll to the end of the dock, and her reaction when an orca surfaces almost within touching range.
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Whale watching on boats is banned in Washington State to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, so Tuesday’s surprise appearance inside Holmes Harbor on Whidbey Island was a treat for those who were out for a walk.
Haight told For The Win Outdoors that at least seven transient orcas were seen at various points during the day, including a rare white calf nicknamed Tl’uk, whose name means “moon” in Coastal Salish (see photo posted below).
“I couldn’t believe it was happening as I have been chasing whales from shore for eight years and that was my best encounter, hands down,” Haight said.
Haight said the orcas near the dock were hunting harbor seals, and that the pod was later seen hunting California sea lions.
She added that the same pod has been spotted sporadically off Whidbey Island since April 1.
–Images and video are courtesy of Rachel Haight. Second image shows rare white calf