— DAILY SABAH (@DailySabah) September 25, 2017
The participants and spectators of a surfing competition in northern Norway had their hearts in their mouths when two killer whales came too close to surfers during their hunting run.
The incident took place at the Lofoten Masters 2017, which describes itself as the "world's northernmost surfing competition" since it takes place in the remote Lofoten archipelago.
Footage taken during the encounter showed the gigantic whales getting too close to the shore - which they do only during hunting- while four surfers were in the water, probably mistaking them for seals.
One surfer in a red wetsuit begins to paddle back to the shore once he spots two black fins.
Despite getting too close to their potential prey, the whales suddenly move away from the area after possibly realizing that the surfers are not seals.
Wild killer whales, also known as orcas, are found in all oceans and they hunt fish and other marine mammals such as dolphins and seals using their sharp teeth.
They are usually not considered a threat to humans since they rarely attack humans in the wild, but there have been numerous deaths and injuries related to captive killer whales in aqua parks and marine parks around the world.
Male killer whales range from six to eight meters in length and weigh in excess of six tons each - with females usually growing slightly smaller. The largest orca on record was almost 10 meters long, weighing more than 10 tons.
Lofoten is a distinct region in Norway known for its distinctive scenery. Weather conditions seasonally allow surfing in the area, and there is no danger of shark attacks to boot.
