Bow-riding orcas surprise

A family of three orca was captured riding alongside the bow of a boat near Cape Rodney at the weekend.

Kirstin Jones was one of five on board the yacht, Spearhead, sailing from Tutukaka to Auckland on Sunday morning, and was surprised at how close the orca came to the vessel.

“They just kept coming closer and closer. They were around for about 15 minutes. It was pretty special,” she said.

The group spotted the pod in the distance after passing a fishing vessel they believed had attracted the marine mammals. But the pod moved closer, eventually appearing right under their bow.

A thrilled Jones posted the video on Facebook, where it attracted plenty of comments from friends surprised to see the “bow-riding” orca.

“I felt very privileged to get that kind of visitation,” she said.