Swimmer Gets Awestruck Orca Visit at Wellington Beach

Joel Crampton was lying peacefully on a pontoon at Oriental Bay, eyes closed in prayer, when a loud whooshing sound made him sit bolt upright.

Two orcas had surfaced just meters away, circling the floating platform where he'd been resting after his nightly swim. One was a massive male with a dorsal fin taller than Crampton himself, accompanied by a smaller female.

"At first I wasn't even scared, I was genuinely just stunned and awestruck," Crampton told Stuff. "They weren't moving fast, they were just chilling out and surfacing to spout or breathe."

The moment quickly shifted from wonder to worry. Crampton realized he was sharing the water with creatures the length of a bus, and his mind flashed to nature documentaries showing orcas hunting seals on icebergs.

"Its fin was taller than me, and it was probably the length of an average bus," he said. When the orcas swam a bit farther down the bay, Crampton saw his chance and sprinted back to shore.

Beachgoers captured the whole encounter on camera. In the video, someone jokingly shouts for Crampton to jump in with the whales, while a child asks what would happen if he did.

Why This Inspires

Crampton's encounter highlights the incredible wildlife sharing New Zealand's coastal waters. According to the Department of Conservation, orcas visit Wellington Harbour regularly during spring and summer, hunting for stingrays in the shallow waters of Oriental Bay.

Rather than swearing off his evening swims, Crampton says the experience has only deepened his appreciation for the ocean. "I guess next time I'm swimming, I'll swim with the mindset that there could be something bigger than me in the water," he said.

The swimmer is already looking forward to his next encounter, hoping to see another orca or maybe even a shark. His sense of wonder has conquered any lingering fear, proving that sometimes the most magical moments come when we least expect them.

For now, Crampton continues his nightly routine at Oriental Bay, knowing the water holds possibilities far beyond quiet reflection.