Orcas Frighten Diver and Dog

My heart was in my throat while watching this video clip in which a diver and dog narrowly escape a pod of Orcas in New Zealand. The videographer, Deonette De Jongh, had been diving for crayfish with the man who we see scramble to safety onto rocks. According to an eyewitness, the Labrador retriever's owner continued to throw sticks for his dog, even though he knew the whales were there, just to "see what would happen." If that had been my dog out there, you can be sure I would have screamed for my dog to return to shore, and fast! Despite sensational news headlines to the contrary, Orca biologist Dr. Ingrid Visser assures viewers that these wild Orcas were merely curious.