Tag: close encounter

Humpback whale and calf provide rare thrill for Maui snorkelers

Footage shows the “surprise guests” approaching the swimmers at a popular dive spot before heading back to deeper water.

In Hawaii, it’s against the law to approach whales in an attempt to swim with the mammals. But every now and then, whales do the approaching when boats are idle and people are already in the water.

The accompanying footage shows a momma humpback whale and her calf swimming briefly with snorkelers at Molokini, a popular dive spot near Maui.

The footage also features the wonderful reactions of those aboard the Pride of Maui vessel, as both whales seem to inspect the snorkelers before swimming to deeper water.

“We had surprise guests snorkeling with us today at Molokini!” the Pride of Maui exclaimed Sunday. “Mahalo to our crew for capturing this rare moment!”

The footage shows the baby whale surfacing to breathe, but its exhalations are too weak to form a spout of mist.

The Pride of Maui encouraged viewers to watch to the end because that’s when momma whale provides the telltale “blow” as she takes a deep breath before diving.

Thousands of humpback whales are in Hawaiian waters for the breeding and calving season, which runs through May.

Tourists fail to spot lion in ‘funny moment’ caught on video

The tourists seemed aware that a lion was close, but they had no idea how close.

A Kenya-based photographer on Thursday captured a “funny moment” involving two tourists hoping to spot a lion, seemingly unaware that a lion was standing immediately behind their truck.

Pareet Shah’s footage (posted below), captured in Maasai Mari National Reserve, shows the lion hidden from the men as they stood inside the vehicle and scanned the landscape.

Shah told FTW Outdoors that he did not know the tourists and explained:

“The sub-adult male lion from the Topi Pride came out from behind the bush and the tourists were scampering in their car looking for lions, not to realize there was one just behind their car! It was a funny moment.”

The vehicle belongs to Matoke Tours Africa and one of Shah’s followers commented, jokingly: “Welcome to Matoke Tours! We guarantee you will get very close with lions but you will not be able to see it!”

Matoke Tours was good-natured, sharing the clip via Instagram and writing: “Ehm… where did the lion go? Our travelers probably never imagined we would take them this close! Amazing shot by [Pareet Shah].”

Maasai Mara National Reserve is in southwestern Kenya. The Topi Pride is dominant in the Topi Plains region.

‘Intense’ moments as orcas attack sea lions next to small boat

Capt. Delaney Trowbridge said afterward that it was “likely the closest I’ll ever feel to being ‘hunted’ by an orca myself.”

Of the many orca encounters enjoyed by boaters off Southern California last week, perhaps the most thrilling spectacle involved killer whales hunting sea lions next to a small boat.

The accompanying footage, shared Sunday by Capt. Delaney Trowbridge of Pacific Offshore Expeditions, shows transient orcas methodically attacking sea lions that attempted to use her boat as cover.

While viewers don’t witness a kill, Trowbridge assured in her Instagram description, “The orcas were successful in their hunt.”

Her footage, captured near Anacapa Island off Ventura County, shows the agile orcas repeatedly passing and swiping at sea lions with their flukes, at times spraying passengers.

Trowbridge described the stirring exhibition:

“One of the most exhilarating encounters I’ve ever had happened just the other day, when a desperate pair of sea lions tried using our boat to shelter themselves from a hungry pod of killer whales (CA140Bs). One of the most amazing things about orcas is their unparalleled problem-solving skills that make them such effective predators.

“The whales made sure to capitalize on every opportunity [when] the sea lions strayed too far from their cover, slowly whittling down their prey. It was incredibly intense to be in the middle of this deadly game of cat and mouse; likely the closest I’ll ever feel to being ‘hunted’ by an orca myself.”

Transient killer whales are more commonly spotted off Central California and points north. Encounters off Southern California are rare.

The encounter with the transient pod occurred just after Eastern Tropical Pacific killer whales, infrequent visitors from Mexico, had spent days hunting dolphins between San Diego and Los Angeles.

–Top image, captured by Delaney Trowbridge, shows transient orcas beneath the surface near Anacapa Island

Man climbs into boat just in time as great white shark approaches

Two men, one fishing and the other taking a dip off the stern, were unaware that a great white shark was heading in their direction.

Two men, one fishing and the other taking a dip in the ocean off the boat’s stern, were unaware that a great white shark was heading in their direction.

The situation became more intense as the shark got closer and closer with filmmaker Carlos Gauna watching from his camera-equipped drone.

“The moment does bring me some worry,” Gauna stated in the video showing the encounter. “I move the drone closer and closer. They must hear it. Once again, I move the drone up and down.”

Finally, the man fishing noticed the shark and alerted his fishing partner to get out of the water. He did so as the shark came within 10 feet of the man.

Both men thanked Gauna with a thumbs-up sign.

The 10-minute video on Gauna’s YouTube channel called TheMalibuArtist does not lack drama. It opens with a spearfisherman, who is also oblivious to the shark that is swimming close by. The encounter with the boat fishermen starts around the 4:40 mark.

After swimming near the spearfisherman, the shark turned its attention to the boat and fisherman in the water, or at least that’s what it appeared.

Gauna, based in Southern California and whose works have been used by National Geographic and Discovery Channel, finally disclosed in the video why the shark was so interested in the boat. The fishermen’s catch was on a stringer in the water near where the man took a dip.

Gauna stated that it’s an example of people on the water needing situational awareness and knowing what attracts sharks.

Trail-cam operator reveals grizzly bear ‘near encounters’

A trail-cam operator in the Yukon Territory has shared “near-encounter” footage showing grizzly bears in front of his camera on the same days as his maintenance visits.

Those who monitor trail cameras in grizzly bear country must wonder how close they might be to bears when they check their devices.

The accompanying footage, featured by David Troup of Yukon Wildlife  Cams, provides an interesting perspective of what it’s like to be the person who maintains the cameras.

In his Facebook post, Troup revealed how much time passed between grizzly bear visits to the camera site and Troup’s visits on the same days.

“On four occasions this summer I checked cameras on the same day as grizzlies visited, with an increasing trend in separation times, thankfully,” Troup stated. “The near encounters were separated by times of (hours:minutes) 2:24, 4:38, 6:56, and 7:27.”

The bears include a probable large boar at the beginning of the footage, and a sow with cubs.

Troup, who appears in front of the camera between bear appearances, cautioned anyone entering bear country to carry bear spray, make noise, and “hope the space-time continuum is on your side.”

Facebook followers thanked Troup for showcasing the Yukon Territory’s wildlife, but some expressed concern for his safety.

Troup told FTW Outdoors:

“I just responded to a comment of what my point of the post was so it’s not interpreted as me presenting myself as some ‘brave outdoorsman’ narrative.

“Everyone who spends time outdoors likely has near encounters with a variety of wildlife yet may not realize it. But with trail cams we sometimes capture those moments.”

Viewers will note that the first bear sniffs the camera before continuing its journey.

Wild animals have an acute sense of their surroundings and react to motion-sensor cameras in different ways.

Last year, one of Troup’s cameras captured footage of a “camera-shy” coyote that paused in front of and quickly bounded away from the device.

Troup explained that his cameras are well disguised, but added: “Inevitably wildlife can detect peculiarities in their environment, whether it’s by sight, sound or smell.”

Watch: Kayak angler at center of epic battle between shark, seal

A kayak angler on Sunday found himself in the middle of an epic battle between a relentless shark and frightened seal off New Zealand’s Eastern Cape.

A kayak angler on Sunday found himself in the middle of a frenetic battle between a relentless shark and frightened seal off New Zealand’s Eastern Cape.

Greg Potter was so close to the action, which he captured on video, that the shark rammed his 12-foot kayak twice as the seal attempted to use the vessel as cover.

“If it had managed to get me out of the kayak, that that could have been a pretty disastrous ending,” Potter told the New Zealand Herald. “I was dressed in full black. I can only imagine what the shark would have made of my legs thrashing around.”

Potter pedaled his kayak closer after spotting a disturbance in the distance. He soon discovered that he was witnessing a predation attempt by what he described as a young white shark.

“I’ve got a juvenile great white shark chasing a seal out here,” he says in the footage. “It’s unreal.”

The shark seemed unable to immobilize the seal during a chase that lasted more than a minute.

It was not clear if the seal ultimately escaped because Potter smartly pedaled away after the shark began to bump his his kayak.

“When the seal hid under the kayak, the shark came crashing up from underneath and smashed into the bottom of the kayak,” Potter said. “Then they did another few laps around the kayak, and then a second time, the shark again smashed the underside of the kayak.”

As for the shark species, we reached out to California-based white shark expert Chris Lowe and after viewing the footage he doubted it was a white shark.

“There are no black tips on the ventral side of the pectoral fins,” said Lowe, who runs the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach. “It’s kind of hard to see from the video, but from the frames I stopped I couldn’t see distinct black on ventral side of the pects and the body seems pretty thin.”

Regardless, it was a harrowing encounter for Potter, who had been fishing six miles beyond Waihau Bay.

–Image is a video screen grab

‘Cool as ice’ swimmers face down 1,000-pound hammerhead shark

A Florida videographer has captured footage showing a 14-foot great hammerhead shark approaching within feet of waders who, remarkably, seemed unfazed by the encounter.

A Florida videographer has captured footage showing a 14-foot great hammerhead shark approaching within feet of waders who, remarkably, seemed unfazed by the encounter.

Evan Parness watched on his screen as he flew his drone overhead to capture the shark’s approach “in just feet of water.” He stated via Instagram that it was “the most intense clip I’ve ever filmed.”

The men, standing waist-deep on a reef, could see a portion of the shark but clearly did not enjoy the same perspective as Parness, who could see the entire shark.

Parness estimated the weigh of the shark at 1,000 pounds.

“This video is obviously slowed down, but while this was going down in real time, it felt like it was in slow motion while I was watching it live on my screen,” he recalled, adding that the swimmers were friends visiting from Michigan.

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A post shared by Evan Parness (@evan_parness)

They remained as “cool as ice” as the shark veered away before making contact with the men.

“When you come down to FL on vacation, don’t rule out a massive hammerhead checking you out!” Parness joked.

ALSO: Massive sea creature startles family on Mexican beach; video

Great hammerhead sharks can measure nearly 20 feet. They sometimes patrol Florida’s coast in search of smaller sharks, stingrays, bony fishes and other prey.

They’re not considered to be especially dangerous to humans but, according to the Florida Museum, “Because of their size and unpredictable nature, they should be treated with respect.”

Parness wrote: “As this was unfolding, I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen. I was expecting the shark to turn earlier than it did, but clearly, it wanted to fully investigate the Michigan bros.

“Since this was a Great hammerhead, I knew the odds of something bad happening were slim. But at the end of the day, nature is unpredictable & anything can happen.”

Parness theorized that the hammerhead was hunting blacktip sharks.

A sea creature encounter these beachgoers will never forget

Surreal footage showing a massive elephant seal hauling onto shore at a Mexican beach, startling beachgoers, is worth another look.

A news report on elephant seal bulls “surfing up onto the sand” for the molting season at a famous California rookery reminded me of an extraordinary event that occurred last July in Mexico.

The accompanying footage shows a massive elephant seal hauling out and frightening a family of beachgoers in Mulegé on the Sea of Cortez.

Mulegé is not an established rookery and this family probably had never experienced a close encounter with a creature so large and ominous-looking.

It turned out that the wayward mammal, which was spotted multiple times, was simply resting before returning to sea.

Northern elephant seals are the largest ‘true’ seals in the Northern Hemisphere and can weigh as much as 5,000 pounds. Their range includes the eastern and central North Pacific, from Alaska to Baja California.

They spend most of their time feeding at sea and typically come ashore at rookeries only to give birth, breed, and molt. Elephant seals can dive 2,500 feet in search of prey. They feed primarily on squid and fish, including sharks and rays.

The nearest significant elephant seal rookery to Mulegé is hundreds of miles away and around the Baja California peninsula, at Guadalupe Island west of Ensenada.

Watch: Shark sends top surfers to shore at legendary contest site

A drone pilot has captured footage showing what appears to be a large great white shark cruising through lineup at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa.

A drone pilot has captured footage showing what appears to be a large great white shark cruising the lineup at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa.

Jeffreys Bay is the site of the Corona Open J-Bay, featuring the world’s top surfers and scheduled through July 22.

In 2015, former world champion Mick Fanning was caught on camera fighting off a shark during a contest heat at J-Bay.

Last May, as Surfer reported, a 50-year-old recreational surfer suffered serious leg injuries during a shark attack at the legendary surf break.

In footage shared Saturday by pro surfer Nathan Florence, captured by Zoard, the shark swims lazily through an uncrowded lineup on what appears to be a practice day.

Florence writes: “Some groms came in down the point and said they had seen a big great white close enough to see its eyes!

“[I] had @zoard throw the drone up to see if we could spot it sure enough shark was cruising up the point! Tried to alert @riowaida_ with the drone it was nearing him and call people on beach to let the surfers know it was swimming right through lineup!

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A post shared by Zoard (@zoard)

“All turned out well everyone went in and and the shark just cruised its way up the point and went on its way! What a crazy thing to watch we know we playing in their home but to see how easily and mellow they can approach undetected is wild!”

In the footage, the surfers appear on edge after they realize the shark is close but the highlight is when Ian Gentil carves a top-turn and sends a cascade of spray over the shark.

The World Surf League competition, with one round in the books, will resume when the surf is suitable for top-level competition.

–Image is a video screen shot

Montana black bear hunter kills charging grizzly with handgun

A Montana hunter last week shot and killed a grizzly bear during a surprise close encounter in the Madison Range.

A Montana hunter last week shot and killed a grizzly bear during a surprise close encounter in the Madison Range.

The hunter was targeting black bears in rugged terrain when the grizzly bear charged, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The hunter, who was not injured, killed the bear with a pistol.

Grizzly bears are under state and federal protection and the case is under investigation.

The hunter notified authorities on the same day, FWP stated in a news release, claiming that he shot the grizzly bear in self-defense.

ALSO: Rare footage shows massive python slithering through Kenya stream

The grizzly bear was a 15-year-old female known to researchers, with no history of human conflict. She did not appear to be with cubs, according to the hunter.

The bear died outside the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem but inside the Demographic Monitoring Area for the Yellowstone grizzly bear population.

–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas