A Scot has shared an incredible close-up video that he captured of an orca, describing it as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity".
Graham Campbell was working at Holm Pier at the village of St Mary's on the Mainland of Orkney on Tuesday morning when he filmed the footage.
The Pier Master at the Orkney Marine Services, who was born and raised in Orkney, has seen killer whales many times—though not this close up.
Orca are frequently seen around Orkney, feeding in the rich seas that surround the islands, and can often be spotted from the land. However, in most cases, they are significantly further from the shore—with very few people getting up close to one of the majestic animals.
In the jaw-dropping video, the whale swims right past the pier before emerging briefly from the water. It suddenly expels air from its blowhole before diving back into the sea.
Graham told the Record: "It was one of these special encounters that you just hope and pray, when they come right in close to you. I was actually looking down on top of them yesterday, I heard them calling to the others, squeaking and calling to the others.
"It was one of these moments you just wait for, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get them just right below you and get some footage of them. It was incredible."
He shared the spectacular footage on Facebook, where it has since received more than 1,400 likes and almost 300 comments. Fellow social media users were keen to share their thoughts on the "amazing" video.
One wrote: "Incredible! And so emotional I bet."
A second echoed: "Thats amazing Graham. I can't believe they came right up to the jetty."
Meanwhile, a third posted: "Beautiful untouched nature. Peaceful beautiful."
"Can't get much closer than that," commented a fourth, while a fifth simply said: "Unbelievable."
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