Harrowing Footage Shows Diver’s Encounter With Humpback Whales
Harrowing footage shows the moment a diver narrowly avoids a confrontation with a pair of humpback whales.
The video was posted by diver Timo Dersch in January to his Instagram account and recorded just days earlier during an expedition in Norway. In the footage, Dersch swims through a school of fish which are being pursued and feasted upon by a school of orca whales.
After the remarkable scene passes him by, there’s a moment of calm before a humpback whale suddenly appears and startles the diver. A second later, another humpback zooms into frame with its mouth wide open headed straight for Dersch. By simple chance, the man and beast narrowly avoid each other, with the humpback’s massive tail passing mere centimeters above Dersch’s head.
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"I was freediving with orcas in Norway, taking photos of their feeding when a whale came up to swallow the bait," Dersch recently told Storyful (via People) of the close encounter. "I moved out of the way, not realizing another humpback came up behind me trying to do the same thing."
“We were freediving with @orcanorway.info and the incredible @the.orca.whisperer and some gentle giants were sneaking up on me,” Dersch captioned the clip posted to Instagram. “Watch till the end!” he imported viewers.
You can check out the astonishing footage below.