Orcas, or killer whales, positioned themselves prominently and made it clear they were the real experts -- and that no mere human on a surfboard was going to deny them whatever waves they wanted."They knew what they were doing," Michael Cunningham, a Northern Advocate photographer and witness, told the newspaper. "They looked like they'd done it before."
New Zealand's orcas, unlike those in other parts of the world, are known to occasionally embark on surfing forays, but rarely is someone on the beach ready with a camera.
[Related: Sharks and the 'ecology of fear']
Cunningham had been bodysurfing when the orcas arrived Friday, but quickly swam ashore to grab his camera. His images, which show orcas charging through the waves, remain in high demand.
Ingrid Visser, founder of the Orca Research Trust near Sandy Bay, said few sharp images of this phenomenon exist and that Cunningham's photos could be used in a research paper on the island nation's surfing orcas. Visser, a foremost authority on orcas, said she does not know of anywhere else on earth where orcas spend a significant amount of time riding waves.
She and a research crew had observed the same orcas surfing at different beaches the day before and after their now-famous session at Sandy Bay, which is north of Auckland.
Because Visser spends so much time studying orcas she has witnessed them surfing many times, but always from a boat behind the breaking waves.
However, that's also a sight to behold because their kick-outs, as the waves close out or get too close to land, are far more dramatic than those of ordinary surfers. "They'll often come right out of the back of the wave and breach out into the trough that follows behind," Visser said in a Monday interview. "And that's really exciting to see as well."
She said New Zealand orcas are a distinct population and that playfully riding waves, the way dolphins ride waves in many places throughout the world, is part of their culture.
However, since orcas can weigh up to eight tons and are atop the food chain, surfing alongside them can be unsettling, to say the least.
"Some of the surfers, like the orca, just go for it and have an absolute buzz," Visser said. "And then other surfers freak out and tell people how it was a life-threatening situation, so you get both extremes."
New Zealand's orcas prey largely on rays and small sharks and have never been implicated in attacks on humans.
Cunningham said foreign tourists were the first out of the water when the orcas appeared Friday. He had been swimming for about an hour before they arrived, and after catching a wave in he looked back and saw several orcas, including a calf, riding a large wave shoreward.
Had he been holding a camera then, it would have been quite the family snapshot.
-- Top two images are courtesy of Michael Cunningham / Northern Advocate. Bottom image is courtesy of Ingrid Visser / Orca Research Trust
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62 Comments
1-20 of 62
Posted by beatrix November 16, 2010 04:06pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
Beautiful photos!
Reply by shackol101 November 16, 2010 10:52pm PSTReport Abuse
It's amazing imagined if you could surf behind him and then he eats you, Yummy!
Reply by rybar November 17, 2010 05:39am PSTReport Abuse
I think if i get eaten by a orca my life would be complete
Reply by indonesiasurf4me November 17, 2010 09:45am PSTReport Abuse
wow have u swam w/ dolphins? cuz then ur complete
Reply by kim lee delport November 17, 2010 09:55am PSTReport Abuse
this is sooo COOL
Reply by lil_aki November 17, 2010 12:15pm PSTReport Abuse
Orcas are dolphins :)
Reply by laurie catherine November 18, 2010 04:45am PSTReport Abuse
This makes me wanna learn surfing. XD
I believe there there are no documented incidents where orcas have killed humans in the wild. I'd still be scared to surf with them but hey, what's wrong with a little adrenaline rush from time to time lol
Reply by michael lacey November 22, 2010 06:02pm PSTReport Abuse
true laurie catherine. u do need an adrenaline rush from time to time. i do all the time. so i use it to get excrcise. :)
Posted by jeffrey colwell November 16, 2010 04:07pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
Truly remarkable animals!
Posted by jasmin fino November 16, 2010 04:25pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
Amazing! <3
Posted by hebegb November 16, 2010 04:28pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
Killer waves bro .
Reply by sasho November 16, 2010 09:34pm PSTReport Abuse
Killer whales bro.
Posted by dolphinsurfer8 November 16, 2010 04:30pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
Sooooooooooooo Amazing!!! Thank you for sharing.
Posted by sonny leger November 16, 2010 04:44pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
Wow awesome waves. Surf's up. I would have loved to surfed with them.
Posted by stephanie coman November 16, 2010 04:57pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
BEAUTIFUL....RIGHT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE!! NOT SEA WORLD!!
JAPAN STOP KILLING DOLPHINS IN TAIJI!!!!
Reply by david george johnson November 16, 2010 05:41pm PSTReport Abuse
Thank you Stephanie! :)
Reply by rick hummer November 16, 2010 09:32pm PSTReport Abuse
Well said! "A dolphin saved my life as a boy....kept me above water until help arrived. " I have never heard that about tuna!
Reply by barbara mieirs November 17, 2010 12:23pm PSTReport Abuse
Thank you all for the blog and for the comments. I totally agree...awesome animals, and especially what Stephanie said, "Right where they should be! NOT! at SEA WORLD!! Peace and Love
Reply by laurie catherine November 18, 2010 04:28am PSTReport Abuse
What Stephanie said! :)
Posted by ldenise04 November 16, 2010 05:20pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
Go Orca! Go Orca!
Reply by ldenise04 November 16, 2010 05:21pm PSTReport Abuse
It's your birthday, have a party!
Posted by kakyuu ouhi November 16, 2010 05:30pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
In nature, their home! So beautiful God's creatures are and should never be made captive for selfish human desires! Save the orcas, whales and dolphins both small and large! STOP THE SENSELESS SLAUGHTER OF PILOT WHALES AND BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS(which have mercury levels of over 2000ppm) FOR FOOD IN TAIJI, JAPAN!!
Reply by david george johnson November 16, 2010 05:41pm PSTReport Abuse
Thank you Kakyuu too!
Reply by indonesiasurf4me November 17, 2010 10:19am PSTReport Abuse
Amen Kakyuu ouhi r u from Hawaii?
Reply by laurie catherine November 18, 2010 04:36am PSTReport Abuse
Kakyuu, well said!
For the people who are interested in saving dolphins I'd recommend watching this video (though it may be difficult for some of you to watch): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b0xSgng9JU
Inform yourself. Learn about why this slaughter is happening, about economic alternatives for the people of Taiji and how can you make a difference. Take action! (ex.: Call or write to your local embassy or consulate.)
Posted by anthony sciacca November 16, 2010 05:35pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
THATS TOTALLY AWESOME!! THANKS FOR THE ARTICLE.
Posted by mc link November 16, 2010 05:40pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
Are Orcas not killer dolphins. Seems to me that they are the biggest dolphin in the dolphin family
There are to types of orcas. Resident (fish eaters) and Transient (meat eaters). They are magnificent mammals.
Reply by blessedwoman November 17, 2010 07:55am PSTReport Abuse
Wow, Joe3663. You're just upset because you don't have any sense of worth because you don't believe in anything. so you have to judge others and bring them down to make yourself feel better. EVERYTHING in this world is centered around God. So i think that makes you the fool.
Reply by dmhv November 17, 2010 09:41am PSTReport Abuse
Totally agree with blessedwoman!
Reply by indonesiasurf4me November 17, 2010 10:24am PSTReport Abuse
Me too! Go Blessedwoman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply by stakeholder November 21, 2010 09:05am PSTReport Abuse
BW, God is the one to judge according to your bible. Yet you're now playing God! Fool. Enjoy these photos of creation without ruining it with your insignificant religion.
Posted by raymond schumacher November 16, 2010 06:04pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
Looking for surfers and seals...... all look alike to them.
Reply by sarah green December 30, 2010 12:07pm PSTReport Abuse
That would be sharks, dumbass. Oracs are MUCH more intelligent than sharks and have NEVER been known to attack a human in the wild. Please stop spreading misinformation about these amazing animals.
Reply by raymond schumacher December 30, 2010 01:03pm PSTReport Abuse
Hello bitc#, ( i mean ms. sarah)
You are the dumb ass. If you look into it, you will find orca ( killer whales) are pod animals. They hunt seal together and EAT them. I have seen video of them hurling seal back and forth to each other playiong with them and tham CHOMP They eat the poor little furry seal.
Surfers wear wet suits ( they are black sarah ) so are seals. GO FIGURE. and besides it was just a pun to stir tree huggers like yourself up.
I am horney are you?
Posted by stephen simmons November 16, 2010 06:06pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
Beautiful picture of the killer whale surfing I wish more people would respect nature like this and share the photos with the world so we can all see these beautiful animals at work and play
Posted by sbsongstad November 16, 2010 06:10pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
Hey Dude, Hang ten, errrrr, Hang two, errrr, Hang Flips, errrrrrrrrrr
Reply by caseycorry November 16, 2010 08:02pm PSTReport Abuse
That's funny!
Reply by indonesiasurf4me November 17, 2010 10:24am PSTReport Abuse
Nice
Posted by michael rock November 16, 2010 06:21pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
That's pretty awesome.
Posted by romona November 16, 2010 06:43pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
That is so cool. I wish i was there.
Posted by leroy hackmann November 16, 2010 06:44pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
the first picture looks like the whale is sticking its tounge out of the side of it's mouth. a totally surfers move.
Posted by marion phillips November 16, 2010 06:51pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
they are just havin a great time ,guess Humans arent the only ones that have fun just to have fun:) great co- habitants of our beautiful planet
Posted by brandy sanchez November 16, 2010 07:51pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
That's so cool!!!!!! I think animals are smarter than people think, those whales have been watching the surfers and learning from them, then showing them how its really done. That is so cool!!!!!
Posted by obbyscuba November 16, 2010 08:24pm PSTReply | Report Abuse
Great! Thanks for letting us share in this special event
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