A boat operator in the Farne Islands, Northumberland, was amazed to see a pod of orcas swimming right past their vessel.
“The second I saw that fin, I just knew,” Andrew Douglas, founder of Serenity Farne Island tours, told BBC Wildlife via email. “My heart genuinely skipped a beat.”
Douglas had heard a rumour that the killer whales were seen heading south from St Abbs, Scotland, the previous evening. He crossed his fingers that he might see them from his boat tour the next day.
“I had this feeling that there was a chance – however small – that they might appear around the Farnes the next day,” he says.
Although there are killer whales in UK waters, seeing these massive marine mammals in the Farne Islands is extremely rare.
But Douglas had luck on his side. As the boat lingered by Longstone Lighthouse near a group of grey seals, he noticed a commotion in the distance. A large flock of seabirds were feeding.
“That immediately caught my attention,” he says. “I lifted my binoculars and suddenly saw a massive black fin rise from the sea.”
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Douglas knew straight away that it must be an orca. The species is known for its iconic dorsal fin which can reach 2m tall in males. From that point, “pure excitement kicked in,” he says. “The whole atmosphere on the boat changed instantly – everyone was buzzing with excitement.”
They slowly drove slightly closer to the killer whales. “As we got closer, I stopped the boat completely and turned off my eco sounds because the last thing I wanted to do was interfere with such an incredible natural moment,” he says.
Then, as the boat bobbed silently in the water, the killer whales swam directly behind the boat. According to Douglas, the group has been identified as the 169s pod.
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Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours has shared the magical encounter on their Facebook page.
“It honestly felt like being inside a wildlife documentary,” says Douglas. “To witness something so rare in what I call my backyard is a privilege I’ll never take for granted.”
Image and video credit: Andrew Douglas, founder of Serenity Farne Islands Tours
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