A pod of orcas surprised a group of friends visiting Quadra Island, British Columbia, last weekend, appearing metres from where they stood on the waterline of Moulds Bay.

The shore-skimming encounter prompted one marine mammal expert to warn that observers should not to get too close to such behaviour.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e on the hunt. We can observe it, we just canB次元官网网址檛 be a part of it,B次元官网网址� said Andrew Trites, professor and director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University of British Columbia, on Friday.

Erika van Sittert, who captured a video of the encounter, said she and her four friends were excited when they first spotted the pod in the distance.

She said they were then shocked when the whales appeared about 20 minutes later, coming within three metres of her friend Callum MacNab, standing ankle-deep in the water.

Van Sittert, who had been seated on a rock above, said she was initially worried for MacNabB次元官网网址檚 safety because of the whalesB次元官网网址� high-speed approach, but describes the encounter as B次元官网网址渆asily one of the most exciting momentsB次元官网网址� of her life.

B次元官网网址淚 was mostly in awe. I didnB次元官网网址檛 expect that to happen. I used to work in whale watching and IB次元官网网址檝e had some encounters, but nothing quite like that,B次元官网网址� she said in an interview Friday. B次元官网网址淚t was just incredible.B次元官网网址�

She said the group is now considering getting matching orca tattoos to commemorate the experience.

Jared Towers, a killer whale researcher with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, identified the pod as the T-090 family, which includes a mother, her adult son and two daughters.

B次元官网网址淭he two daughters, aged five and 12, were the two whales that came closest to the shore and rolled over on their sides to check out Callum on the shore,B次元官网网址� he said in an interview Friday.

Towers said he doesnB次元官网网址檛 believe the whales had malicious intent and were likely either hunting and initially mistook the humans for prey, or were B次元官网网址渏ust curious.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭hey love hunting in that area (because) thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of harbour seals, and thatB次元官网网址檚 really what makes up the bulk of their diet, and they hang out near shore,B次元官网网址� he said.

Towers said there is no record of an orca killing a human in the wild.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e certainly masters of their own environment and if thereB次元官网网址檚 anything swimming around out there, they want to check it out, see what it looks like and see if it is prey,B次元官网网址� he said.

Trites, of the Marine Mammal Research Unit, predicted these types of encounters will happen more frequently in B.C.

B次元官网网址淓verybody now has a high-definition video camera in their pockets and so weB次元官网网址檙e seeing these encounters, but itB次元官网网址檚 also evidence that the whales are here far more frequently now than they used to be,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淎ll of us want to have these amazing close encounters, but not at the expense of injuring the animals, harming them, or causing them to avoid coming here.B次元官网网址�

Trites said killer whales are comfortable hunting near shore at this time of year and people should aim to keep a distance.

B次元官网网址淚t is about us developing this new relationship, because things have changed. The oceans have changed very dramatically and weB次元官网网址檙e seeing that play out in front of us,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淛ust as you wouldnB次元官网网址檛 wander into the Serengeti and take part in a lion hunt, you also need to respect and stand back as killer whales are going about their lives because theyB次元官网网址檙e hunting.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址� By Brieanna Charlebois in Vancouver.