Killer whales closely follow sailboat during race off Canada. See ‘incredible footage’

A group of killer whales recently followed a sailboat off the coast of Canada, making for a “nerve-wracking” encounter, video footage shows.

The incident happened during the Round Bowen Race, which takes place just north of Vancouver, according to a June 11 news release from Sea to Sky Sailing.

In a video accompanying the release, multiple orcas can be seen surfacing right alongside a sailboat. At one point, one of the animals dramatically flipped its tail out of the water.

The sailors attempted to move away from the orcas multiple times, but the animals “were having none of it and kept coming over to play,” the release said.

The experience was “a little nerve wracking at times since the adults were bigger than our little (boat) but luckily our Pacific Northwest orcas haven’t develop(ed) a taste for yachts,” the release added.

This appeared to be a reference to a group of orcas off the coast of Spain that have been disabling and sinking yachts.

“That’s a show of a lifetime right there for that vessel,” a person can be heard saying in the video.

Orcas, which are found in all oceans, can measure up to 32 feet and weigh up to 11 tons, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. All of their populations are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

This story was originally published June 20, 2024 at 1:37 PM with the headline "Killer whales closely follow sailboat during race off Canada. See ‘incredible footage’."