Michelle Feis: Kayaker Surrounded By Killer Whales, Swimming Right Under Her [Video]
Michelle Feis likely didn’t expect the YouTube video she published on September 1 to go as viral as it has gone. But that’s exactly what has happened to Feis’ video, titled “KILLER WHALES – 1 OF THE MOST UNREAL ENCOUNTERS ON KAYAK.”
Michelle is gaining attention for recording one weird encounter with the whales, reports ABC News. It was on August 26 that Feis reported that Michelle and a guide kayaked near the San Juan Islands in Washington and ran into about 30 orca whales.
As seen in the video that kayaker Feis recorded of her whale encounter, one of the orca whales swims right beneath her kayak, reported KIRO Seattle. Feis described her harrowing experience on YouTube.
“August 26, 2015: – Heading out of Roche Harbor into Open Bay to circle Henry Island. One kayak (me + guide) head out at 9:00 am. Ended up being the luckiest day ever & the thrill of a lifetime!! I was scared (but not fearing for my life scared), adrenaline rush times a thousand, a lot excited, a lot in disbelief at our luck, mostly in complete awe of these mammals. We had no idea the whales were in the waters so close to us when we headed out; this was simply great timing plus PURE LUCK.”
That’s when Michelle described trying to get out of danger by getting out of the way of the whales.
“We moved our kayak as close to the cliffs and in the kelp as possible to be out of their way and stopped paddling while we watched them play and move through Open Bay. But they were everywhere and we ended up being in the route of a few as seen. Keep in mind however that our kayak was no more obtrusive than a piece of driftwood floating on the surface. Must have been over 30 whales playing, jumping & feasting on a salmon breakfast. I saw one breach completely out of the water. It was utterly amazing, incredible, wondrous, unbelievable – IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE!!!”
Indeed, Feis’ wish that her transformative experience be passed along came true.
“Three passed right under our kayak, one looked right at us. The one that looked at us had her baby with her(look close)…. Such a completely magical, inspiring encounter with these extraordinary mammals. They are massive and move swiftly. Their agility is remarkable. The dorsal fins on the males are mammoth- OMG! This was a pod/pods known as the Southern Resident Orcas of the Salish Seas or North Pacific Ocean. They are an endangered community of whales and currently protected under the Endangered Species Act. I heard it was L-Pod with a few of K, but maybe J too as they are the ones with babies of which we saw 2 or 3. This was seriously one of the most amazing days of my life. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I’ll treasure forever. I was excited beyond belief and I almost felt like I had superhuman powers after our morning kayaking adventure, haha. It really is transformative to have such an experience. I hope you enjoy and pass along! THIS IS SEAWORLD…”
[Image via YouTube]
