Dolphins while paddling? Totally cool. Turtles? Sure. Killer Whales? Noooooo Way! This guy had a close encounter with a killer whale off Kuaotunu Beach, New Zealand that he'll never forget.
While paddling off Kuaotunu Beach, New Zealand, Lukas Reilly noticed a killer whale watching closely. He didn't paddle over to it, instead it came to him, extremely interested in seeing what the sport of stand up paddling was all about. The whale swam below him for a moment, before getting way too close for comfort, nudging the tail of his SUP and nearly knocking him off his board. Luckily, through either super-human balance, or good luck, Lukas stayed on his feet, giving a little shout to the big guy in protest as he had a quick taste of the tail of his board.
Not that these whales are dangerous to stand up paddlers, instead choosing to munch on seals who are slightly more fun to catch. Perhaps this whale was just checking to see if the thing on a big floaty board was a seal, or perhaps he just wanted a go. Either way, well done to Lukas Reilly for keeping his cool, not chasing down the whale in the first place, and for keeping on his feet during what would have been quite an exciting few minuets.
Check out the footage of this close encounter with a stand up paddler and a killer whale off New Zealand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vaq4pHxM5P4
