Lucky Encounters With Orcas In Kimbe Bay, PNG
A group of divers who dived with Walindi Plantation Resort recently encountered a group of six orcas (Orcinus orca) — also known as “killer whales” — while diving near Restorf Island. One of the divers, Thomas Kuhn from Germany, shared the fascinating encounter.
The first orca encounter
We were sailing between diving areas “Inglis Shoal” (Sea Mountain) and “Zero Fighter” when Stefan, one of the divers, noticed a giant tailfin breaking the water about 200 metres from the boat. It was an orca! The boat’s course was altered to follow the huge tailfin.
As we approached, the orcas swam to meet us on the starboard side of our boat. It was a pod of six orcas — two large ones, three of medium size, and a juvenile. They began to dive underneath our boat in different formations for over several minutes — heads breaking the water many times directly next to the boat. After five minutes, I jumped into the water with my underwater camera and the inquisitive orcas swam past me. As the pod left and moved towards Cape Campbell and Lake Dakataua, our boat followed them…
The second orca encounter
The orcas occasionally surfaced ahead of us. As we drew closer, the dive staff began assembling the outriggers for the dolphin nets. Developed by Max Benjamin from Walindi Plantation Resort, the outriggers were designed to watch dolphins. Fully mounted, the coarsely meshed nets can be used by two people on either side of the boat to hold on to at slow speed.
Stefan and Maria were on one side while my dive buddy and I were on the other side. Four orcas emerged from the depth and approached us. They swam around us for a while, and then disappeared into the depths again.
The third orca encounter
We followed the orcas northward. While we scanned the surface very closely, I was standing at the stern ready to jump in, mask, snorkel, camera and all.
A while later, I turned around and was astonished to see a huge tailfin in the wake of the boat. The orcas were actually following us! The engine was turned off, and I jumped into the water followed by Stefan and Maria, to get closer to the orcas behind the boat. The pod approached us one last time. They lingered near the boat for quite a while. and then that finally disappeared in the deep blue of Kimbe Bay’s open waters.