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| Image credit: Kennedy News Media |
If you enjoy nature, you're probably conflicted about
viewing predator-prey encounters in wildlife documentaries. Also the most
ferocious beasts have babies and must feed, but no one enjoys seeing a cute
little penguin being ripped limb from limb. In the Gerlache Strait, Antarctica,
a tourist boat photographing wildlife among icebergs was recently caught up in
such a scene as a pod of orcas chased a lone penguin. The brave Gentoo, on the
other hand, had no intention of dying on that fateful day, as video captured it
zooming around before launching itself into one of the vessels.
Travel blogger Matt Karsten and his wife were aboard a
Zodiac boat drifting along the Gerlache Strait when they captured the video.
The killer whales were the couple's first sighting, and they were clearly
excited for their close-up, swimming right up to Karsten's underwater camera.
The arrival of what could only be described as a canapé for these massive
marine mammals, the Gentoo penguin, soon distracted the curious cetaceans.
The penguin was chased by the pod as it darted between the
boats, jumping above the water on many occasions. The Gentoo appears to have
decided that a safe space was within reach if it could only coordinate with its
objective, one of the dinghies, on one of these above-water reconnaissance
leaps.
Unfortunately, the penguin was quite comically boinged back
into the ocean when it reached the boat's rubber-cum-trampoline sides on the
first try. Undaunted, the penguin attempted the leap again and, this time, made
it aboard with the assistance of a concerned onlooker. When out in the woods,
it's best not to come into contact with wildlife (getting too near to wild
animals can be dangerous to both you and them), however in the heat of the
moment, many can sympathize with cheering for the lil' Gentoo.
It was incredible to see in person. Karsten told Kennedy
News Media that it felt like he was watching a National Geographic segment on
location. I'm sure the penguin was happy to be free.
For a short time, the orcas followed the zodiac boat. They
eventually gave up, leaving the penguin safe and sound with his new mates. The
penguin waved farewell to the boat and jumped back into the freezing water
after a short cruise.
A whale-watching boat was recently at the core of a similar
drama in Australia, where it became a pivotal weapon in a war between a
humpback whale and 15 orcas. Despite the prolonged and choreographed attempts
to drown the whale, the ordeal had a shocking conclusion, with orcas being
excellent battle strategists who use tail slaps to efficiently issue orders.
Originally Published By IFL SCIENCE
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