Divers Film Close Encounter With Pod of Killer Whales in Indonesia; Are Orcas Aggressive to Humans?

Divers get to experience swimming underwater with a pod of orcas. They filmed the rare encounter in what they described as a "surreal experience."

Divers See Pods of Killer Whales Underwater

Reinhard Santoso and his diving companion Ribka Malise were swimming off the coast of North Sulawesi, Indonesia when they stumbled upon an incredible sight.

A pod of orcas could be seen swimming just feet above them. The orcas were gliding toward the surface.

Santoso and Malise used a GoPro to record the entire interaction, which they then uploaded to Instagram. It has received over 680,000 views and 52,000 likes.

In the caption, Santoso said they encountered a moment of pure beauty amid the magical world beneath the waves. He was impressed with the way the killer whales moved.

According to him, they moved with such grace and power, which was mesmerizing. He added that bumping into Orcas was a "surreal experience" and "truly indescribable."

Malise also talked about the experience on her Instagram Story. According to her, something was different that morning because the usual hustle and bustle was noticeably missing, Newsweek reported.

She hoped to find something interesting to capture underwater and used her GoPro. According to her, the pods of orcas appeared out of nowhere, gliding like they were the true queen of the sea. She admitted that they couldn't believe what they saw.

Santoso added that their close encounter with the killer whales left them speechless. He also stopped breathing at the magical sight because it felt like a dream come true for him.

Santoso, who owns a dive shop called Gorontalo Dive with Malise, claimed that although orcas had been spotted from the shore, no one had ever encountered them underwater. He said they weren't sure, but they believed that orcas were migrating at the time.

Are Orcas Aggressive to Humans?

According to Eagle Eyed Adventures, killer whales or orcas are generally not considered a threat to humans. They are extremely sociable and intelligent and live in elaborate societies with complex relationships and communication patterns.

They have been recorded displaying various behaviors showing emotions and may experience pain, and they depend on collaboration and teamwork to hunt and survive.

Orca whales are unlikely to attack humans out of aggression or antagonism due to their intellect and social nature. In truth, killer whales have frequently rescued individuals who were in peril. One such event involved a group of orcas that assisted a diver in escaping a shark attack.

Additionally, killer whales helped humans hunt. There are stories in North America and Australia where orcas herd fish to make it easier for fishermen to catch them, according to PBS.

Wild Explained added that orcas are very friendly and enjoy their interactions with humans. However, they are still wild and may hurt people accidentally.

The name "killer whales" is misleading, the outlet added. Orcas were initially called "killer of whales," and it was shortened to "killer whales" over time. So, while they are friendly to humans, they do not interact in the same way with whales.

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