Incredible footage shows an otter escaping the killer whale by jumping onto a boat
- Video on Reddit shows the otter jumping to safety on a boat after the chase
- Footage shows the otter being chased by an orca before making an improbable escape
- John Dornelas, 40, filmed the incident in Halibut Cove Lagoon, Alaska
This is when an otter miraculously escaped a prey killer whale by jumping onto a boat to safety.
Footage shared by a user on Reddit shows an orca closing in on an otter before it made an incredible leap aboard the ship to avoid capture.
John Dornellas, 40, filmed the animal frantically swimming toward him as the killer whale followed him into Halibut Cove Lagoon, Alaska.
Another captain, Chantrelle Major, who also filmed the moment from her nearby ship, watched as the orca circled Mr. Dornellas’ boat in search of the sea otter.
The sea otter jumped onto the transom of Mr. Dornellas’ boat just seconds before the orca, also known as killer whale, emerged from the water.
The otter then manages to pull off the most unlikely escape by jumping onto a nearby boat in a moment that was incredibly captured on camera.
In disbelief, John then yells “Are you kidding me?” as the otter climbs aboard the boat.
Meanwhile, the orca can only be seen a few meters from the raft, after which the individual allows the heroic otter to jump between the boat and the water a number of times.
Commenting on the incident, Mr Dornellas said: ‘I felt absolute awe – there was a visceral energy in the air that I cannot explain, a powerful hunting energy emanating from the killer whale.
“There was also a tremendous primal fear of the otter, but the combination of so much strength and helplessness left a knot in my stomach.
“I felt incredibly lucky to be able to see such an interaction.
“I believe the orca had an otter cub in its mouth, so I suspect that’s why the otter kept going in the water, but eventually climbed aboard and refused to leave.
“After riding the boat for fourteen hours a day for days at a time, I was tired and feeling a little down, but this ‘wink’ from God gave me strength and made the rest of the day easy.
“Nothing I could plan or do could make this meeting possible, so I felt humbled and grateful.”
The video, which has received nearly 5,000 comments on Reddit, has left users amazed at the otter’s bravery.
One user said, “Something tells me this isn’t the first time that otter has been hiding on that boat.”
Another joked, “It’s our boat now, friend.”
A third summed up the desperation of the situation, noting, “Every port in a storm.”
In the beginning of the clip, the orca can be seen briefly surfacing, before submerging and appearing to chase the otter, who appears doomed. The person who filmed the clip, identified as John by someone who filmed him, can be heard saying, “Dude, that otter is in trouble, man.”
A fourth added: ‘Not today, Orka. Not today.’
Orcas, first given the name killer whales because they were observed attacking other marine animals, are the largest member of the dolphin family and live in groups in the sea called “pods.”
The marine creatures, which can navigate and hunt underwater, can often be seen in southeastern Alaska between early May and early June.