While cruising off the coast of British Columbia last week, fisherman Bob Fraumeni was treated to a close-up display of orca acrobatics, and his reaction to the spectacle was just about perfect. 

Sound on.


 

“Lord love a duck he just about jumped in the boat!” Fraumeni is heard exclaiming after witnessing the animal breach just metres from his fishing vessel. “It’s like watching a boxing match and being right in the ring,” he added later on.

The short clip, uploaded to Facebook last week, has already racked up over 700,000 views. Although it’s unclear if Fraumeni deliberately approached the orcas or not, it does seem that he followed regulations and shut off his engine while in close proximity to the pod.

According to reports, Fraumeni was floating in the Salish Sea when he captured the remarkable footage. This interconnected system of ocean straits, channels, and bays stretches across northwestern Washington and southwestern British Columbia and is known for its resident orca pods. However, the area also offers prime hunting for Bigg's whales ("transient" orcas). The former can usually be spotted feasting on migrating salmon between May and October, while the transient cetaceans can be harder to find as they move up and down the coast in search of mammalian prey.

Top header image: jellybeanz, Flickr