Mother nature took mercy on a cute, lovable otter when the marine mammal narrowly escaped a lurking orca just feet away. The footage of the scene of survival was originally caught in Halibut Cove, Alaska, on July 26, 2020.
If the video proves anything about the underwater world, it’s that you always need to be on your toes (or webbed flippers)! After all, it can be an orca-eat-otter life out there in the deep.
In the video, the otter outswims the mighty orca, eventually climbing onto a nearby vessel to take refuge from the lurking mammoth. The clip, originally posted to Youtube on July 28, has since garnered over 11 million views. It’s hardly a surprise, however: Who doesn’t love a good underdog story—with a happy ending?
The captain and videographer, John Dornellas, quickly welcomes the harried otter and encourages the friendly little guy to stick around and stay safe.
“Come on up, bud,” Dornellas encourages the furry friend. “Hey Buddy. … I won’t hurt you. Stay up here as long as you need.”
The hunted otter eventually tests the waters, only to be chased back out several times by the persistent, hungry orca.
While the video ends inconclusively, the original poster reported that after waiting for an extended duration, Dornellas, skippered the boat a safe distance away and, once the coast was clear, his new friend made a safe escape back into the depths.
In the long term, we’re rooting for the plucky marine mammal. And with survival instincts like that, we think he otter be OK.
Check out the video below to watch the dramatic escape!
