'Breathtaking': Pod of orcas cruise shallows of Hawke's Bay beach

Arlene Butler said "it was breathtaking" seeing the orcas so close to the beach. Photo / Arlene Butler

Hawke's Bay residents were more in awe than fear watching a pod of orca drifting along the Napier coastline just metres from the beach.

Arlene Butler said it was majestic seeing the pod of what looked like a family with a couple of small calves in the group of four.

"It was breathtaking," Butler said.

"If you stood in the just in the shallow of the water you could have easily touched them, not that you would've but that's just how close they were."

Butler got a call about 5.30pm on Sunday from a friend who said they saw the whales from the beach.

"Four of us quickly jumped on the quadbike and headed down near Pan Pac which isn't that far and we followed them for ages.

"It was about 20 minutes then we had to stop because it was getting dark and the quad didn't sound too healthy with four of us on it, but they were just happy going along the beach front," Butler said

"It was amazing."

Co-founder of Whale-Rescue.org Floppy Halliday said that for orcas to be seen in the shallows of NZ waters, they were most likely chasing stingrays.

"New Zealand is one of the only environments in the world for orcas to do this and be able to hunt for stingrays so close to shore."