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Paddle boarder gets shock of his life when killer whale takes a 'nibble' on his board - video Paddle boarder gets shock of his life when killer whale takes a 'nibble' on his board - video
(about 21 hours later)
When paddle boarder Luke Reilly left his house to hit on Monday, the last thing he would have expected was for him to come face-to-face with one of ocean’s  most successful predators.When paddle boarder Luke Reilly left his house to hit on Monday, the last thing he would have expected was for him to come face-to-face with one of ocean’s  most successful predators.
Yet that is exactly what happened, when a curious killer whale played under Reilly’s board for nearly five minutes.Yet that is exactly what happened, when a curious killer whale played under Reilly’s board for nearly five minutes.
Boarding about 200m from the coast of Kuaotunu in north of Whitianga, on New Zealand’s North Island, Reilly had been out on the water for only a short period when the inquisitive whale approached.Boarding about 200m from the coast of Kuaotunu in north of Whitianga, on New Zealand’s North Island, Reilly had been out on the water for only a short period when the inquisitive whale approached.
Coming within inches of Reilly’s board, the whale rolled onto his stomach as it swam directly underneath the stunned paddler’s board. Watch Reilly's close encounter with the whale by clicking the video below:
Speaking to local television channel 3 News, Reilly said: “Then this one bee-lined it for me.Speaking to local television channel 3 News, Reilly said: “Then this one bee-lined it for me.
“He popped up about 10cm away from the back of my board.“He popped up about 10cm away from the back of my board.
“I was a bit nervous thinking, 'what's this guy going to do?” “I was a bit nervous thinking, 'what's this guy going to do?
At one point, Reilly said, the orca even had a nibble of the back of his board that Reilly admitted “freaked him out a bit.”
“He slowly crept up and grabbed the back of my board and I yelled, 'What are you doing!'” Reilly said.
In the wild, killer whales have a fearsome reputation as one of nature’s most intelligent and effective killers.In the wild, killer whales have a fearsome reputation as one of nature’s most intelligent and effective killers.
They are known for hunting and killing anything from stingrays, to seals, to blue whale calves.They are known for hunting and killing anything from stingrays, to seals, to blue whale calves.
  
Despite this reputation, they appear to pose no threat to to humans with no deaths involving killer whale attacks on humans in the wild ever being reported.Despite this reputation, they appear to pose no threat to to humans with no deaths involving killer whale attacks on humans in the wild ever being reported.