When you surf as often as Liam Davies and Alex Griffiths do, you’re bound to come across some fascinating creatures. That said, they’ve never gotten close to an orca… that is until a recent surf trip! The two best friends and their girlfriends, Yasmin and Nina, ventured out to Sunset Beach, Port Waikato. This New Zealand beach is the perfect spot to catch amazing waves!
Videos by InspireMore
And that’s exactly what Liam and Alex did that day. Except, at some point, some non-human friends decided to join. Leading up to this moment, the two surfers had heard that a pod of whales was nearby. But because they couldn’t spot them, they went about their day as usual. Finally, one of the orcas made themselves known. How? By riding a wave just in front of the two men!
The video above was captured by Yasmin and Nina. Needless to say, the two of them were freaking out (in the best way) over this beautiful sight. Meanwhile, the surfers themselves were at a loss for words. Because, even though it might seem scary, neither of them were afraid.
“I was paddling back out, diving under waves, and I came up to see this massive orca whale surfing the wave right in front of me,” Liam recalls. “It was incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Curious Orcas Join These New Zealand Surfers for a Gnarly Wave
Folks nearby who noticed the orcas also went wild for this once-in-a-lifetime moment. While orcas typically leave humans alone entirely, they’ve also been known to befriend the tiny humans they spot in the water. How cool is that!?
“I’m just non-stop thinking about it and looking at the photos. Time just froze as it glided past. You can’t explain the feeling,” Liam says. “I’m just feeling super grateful for it.”
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!
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