The wild video shows a tiny sea otter dramatically running away from a hungry killer whale chasing it. The otter’s fate seemed already sealed, but it jumped into the boat and escaped safely at the very last moment. This moment took place in front of the boat captain’s eyes!
John Dornellas, who works for an exploration company, was boating in the Kachemak Bay, Alaska when witnessed the incredible moment. The 37-year-old spotted a group of at least three killer whales and a bunch of sea otters, but it was a very common sight for him. But all of a sudden he noticed that one of the orcas started to chase some pray, and it was heading straight to his boat. It’s when he started recording.
“Oh my gosh. It’s coming right to the front of the boat,” Dornellas says in the video. “Oh dude, that poor otter wants to get the heck out of the water. Oh my gosh, oh this poor dude.”
Moments later, a sea otter popped out of the water and jumped onto the deck straight in front of him. The poor creature was inches close to getting caught by the massive orca, but fortunately, its quick thinking saved its life.
“Hey, I’m not gonna hurt you,” the man can be heard saying. “You’re good. You can chill up here as long as you need!”
The lucky otter remained on Dornellas’ boat until the group of orcas disappeared from sight. Then it found its way back into the ocean.
John Dornellas was very surprised by the experience. Speaking for the Win Outdoors, he said: “This experience was completely by surprise and utterly unbelievable. I felt absolute awe – there was a visceral energy in the air that I can’t explain, a powerful hunting energy coming from the orca,” he continued. “I felt incredibly fortunate to be able to see such an interaction.”
You can view the incredible video footage below!
