Orca encounter 'absolutely righteous'

GISBORNE HERALD

"A MILLION DOLLAR MOMENT": The seven-metre male orca also known as a killer whale with divers near the Port of Gisborne.

"No fear" is the motto when up close with an orca, Gisborne diver Jim Kahukoti says.

He was still buzzing yesterday after an "absolutely righteous" experience when he ran his hand along most of the seven-metre length of an orca – also known as a killer whale – near the Port of Gisborne.

"My friends said it might have thought I was a seal and eaten me," Mr Kahukoti, an instructor with Adventure Dive Gisborne, said.

"But when a seal knows a predator is around it sends out vibes saying I'm frightened and that probably indicates to the orca that there is food in the area. So, like I say to my students, `Don't thrash around, keep cool'."

Mr Kahukoti was preparing to enter the water with a group of students on Wednesday when he saw two fins approaching, one very big one – more than a metre high – and one very small one.

"I jumped into the channel and started slapping the water but I didn't really think it would come in.

"But it swam in and turned on a dime – the channel was only three metres wide and the orca was at least seven metres long, but it turned very gracefully and hardly even caused a wake.

"Then it turned over on its side and looked at me with one eye. I looked into its eye. It allowed me to run my hand along its whole length, which took five to 10 seconds.

"I could sense it was a powerful being. It was phenomenal, absolutely righteous, a blessed moment for me – a million-dollar moment."

The big orca was a male looking after a calf, which was about a metre and a half long.

Moko the friendly dolphin had been at a nearby beach but disappeared about the time the killer whales arrived.

Mr Kahukoti said he doubted whether the orca would have been able to catch the dolphin.

"It would probably need a pod of orcas to stop the dolphin getting away."