Whale watchers out of San Diego last Wednesday were treated to a close encounter involving orcas that are more commonly encountered deep in Mexican waters.
It was an extraordinary greeting that included a special moment for one passenger, who was sprayed in the face by an exhaling orca nicknamed Terso.
"Whenever you’re hanging around these ETPs, ending up in the Splash Zone is inevitable!" boasted Dominic Biagini of Gone Whale Watching San Diego. "That’s especially true with our buddy Terso, as [Shawna Kedzior] happily discovered!"
Eastern Tropical Pacific orcas, infrequent visitors to San Diego, have been spotted on and off for the past several days. Some have been identified and given names.
The accompanying footage shows an aerial view as Terso
exhales powerfully while alongside the boat, sending a misty plume toward Kedzior.
It also shows what Biagini described as "a baptism by orca" from Kedzior’s camera, or POV.
ETP orcas, or killer whales, typically spend their time in Southern California hunting dolphins. But they’re also famously boat friendly.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 'Baptism by orca' moment caught on video off San Diego
