Diver jumps in the water with pod of hunting orcas

These scuba divers in the Galapagos Islands are witnessing something that few people ever get to see. After they finished their dive, they climbed out of the water and into a panga, a small inflatable boat that takes them from the larger cruise ship to their dive site. A pod of orcas has arrived and they are hunting and attacking a large ocean fish called a mola mola.

The mola mola itself is an incredibly rare sight. This one is in trouble as it struggles to avoid this pod of killer whales that are biting it. It is injured and it is not able to dive deep as it would normally do when threatened. It is defenseless and no match for killer whales, the ocean's ultimate predator. The mola mola heads for the boat, possibly looking for a place to hide. The killer whales are also one of the ocean's most intelligent creatures and they aren't fooled by this attempt. They are also not shy and they regard the boat and the occupants with curiosity as they swim beneath.

Incredibly, one of the divers asks if he can go in and the dive master gives him the "go ahead". The diver slips in and stays at the surface. His air from the previous dive will be very low and he isn't going to go to any depth. But he cannot resist the urge to get into the ocean and swim with these amazing animals.

Killer whales are not known for attacking humans. Many people dive with them all over the world, without incident, and there is no reason for this diver to expect trouble here. Even so, it's hard to be so confident when there are three orcas on the hunt with their prey drive fully engaged. It definitely takes bravery to be so close to one of the ocean's largest and most powerful carnivores. Even great white sharks will not stay in an area inhabited by orcas. IN addition to their massive size and strength, they also possess the ability to communicate and hunt cooperatively, making them, without question, the most feared and respected animals on the planet.

This diver will never forget his good fortune to be in the water watching them hunting like this.