Clip: Foil Surfers Cruise Through a Pod of Playful Killer Whales

Jade Eckardt
·2 min read
8

Over the last couple of months, surfers have been encountering killer whales along the Southern California coastline.

There's been a handful of orca sightings from a safe distance, like Blair Conklin's drone footage and the video of an orca whipping a sea lion with its tail.

Then there's the increasing number of orca encounters where surfers get up close and uncomfortably personal with the black-and-white whales. For example, the guy who paddled through a pod of killer whales, and the foil surfers in the clip below.

The clip above comes from photographer Saxon Thomas Chang. Captioning it, he wrote:

"Orcas in San Diego came and checked us out while downwind foiling from Mission Bay to Oceanside.

"When we were passing through La Jolla Canyon @kyleknoxisand @jonlaunais started shouting ORCAS! They popped up close by and started to check out @avinamark on the sup, circled us from beneath the ski and played in the wake for a few exhilarating minutes before disappearing.

"Unforgettable experience! Thank you for coordinating the run and showing us how it’s done @chuckglynn."

The clip shows a pod of foil surfers and jetski drivers cruising through a pod of killer whales. The person behind the camera is freaking out as the rest of his crew gets surrounded by orcas.

Chang's followers got the conversation going. Here's a few of their comments below:

"Wow. Really looked like they were trying to decide if you guys were edible."

"Dude they’re called killer whales for a reason. They’re hunting him."

"The adrenaline must have been off the charts."

"What an incredible experience!!! Thanks for sharing with us."

***

Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.

Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.