Vancouver photographer captures images of orcas ‘metres’ from his kayak
Liam Brennan had a once-in-a-lifetime experience while kayaking near the University of British Columbia last Wednesday.
The 23-year-old headed out near Locarno Beach in the evening, a route he frequently paddles.
But this time, his routine route was far from ordinary.
As he lifted his paddle to turn around and head back in, he noticed an unusual sound about a kilometre in the distance.
"I heard the blow, which I suspected was a whale, but I immediately told myself, 'there's no way,'” said Brennan.
But his instincts were right.
"I looked over my shoulder and there was huge a dorsal fin on the horizon,” he said. "It was a mix of terror, but exhilaration like, ‘Oh my god this is actually happening?’”
Within a few minutes, a pod of orcas came within metres of his kayak.
"One male kind of did a circle around me, there was a female on one side of me. At one point I was just surrounded, which was just spectacular."
The incredible moment happened within minutes, but he managed to pull out his DSLR camera to capture the experience.
“It raised its head right out of the water, must have been 15 or 20 metres from kayak, so unbelievable”
Fascinated by marine life, he posted the photos online in hopes of identifying the pod.
Researchers determined the three transient killer whales were a mother with her two sons.
"Scientists that spend a lot of time around these whales can ID the individuals based on their dorsal fin, the white patch above their eye and the grey area behind their dorsal fin,” said Dr. Beth Volpov with the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University of British Columbia.
"This is an extremely rare experience, seeing a transient killer whale from a kayak is like winning the lottery."
There's about 350 transient killer whales swimming in and out of Salish Sea. A male orca can grow up between six and nine metres long, more than triple the size of an average kayak.
“My images, especially of the male orca, right in front of the city skyline can be a pretty powerful symbol of ecological resilience,” said Brennan. “I think it’s a pretty cool juxtaposition to have this symbol of wild nature right in front of the city and I hope it conveys the message that we’re always connected to nature.”
The incredible moment was made even more special for Brennan, who now holds a UBC Environmental Science degree.
"For it to happen, just under a week before I was graduating was pretty amazing, I was pretty excited.”
His dream to paddle alongside orcas is what he says he’ll remember as a graduation gift--a memory he’ll never forget.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
Testifying in hush money trial, adult film actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday in the hush money trial of former U.S. president Donald Trump, prepared to testify about a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election 10 years later.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Apple unveils new iPad Pro with 'outrageously powerful' AI-powered chip
Apple is hoping its latest iPad lineup will breathe new life into its sluggish tablet market. In a pre-recorded live streamed event from its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company introduced the latest versions of its iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, and an all-new Apple Pencil Pro.
Katy Perry's mom was fooled by AI images of the singer at the Met Gala
Katy Perry did not attend the Met Gala on Monday, but some of the singer’s fans – and even her mom – thought she did.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.