Orca surprise diver off Coromandel as close encounter caught on video

Diver Jordy Bardin had an "insane interaction" with this orca which swam up to her boat off the Mercury Islands. Photo / Instagram @jordy_bards

A Kiwi diver has had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a pod of orca off the Coromandel coast.

Jordy Bardin came face to face with the orca while diving in the waters near the Mercury Islands.

In footage posted on Tuesday to her Facebook page Overboard with Jord, Bardin can be seen splashing the ocean surface as an orca swims up to her boat, coming within arm’s reach.

She described the “insane interaction” in a post to her 18,000 followers.

“These guys actually snuck up on me while I was in the water, and I almost s*** my wetsuit,” she said.

“Unfortunately, my GoPro was flat, so I couldn’t capture just how close and curious they were!

“However, they were so interactive that they came and said hello once I had hopped back on the boat.

“There’s nothing like an orca in your face to get the heart pumping!” she said.

Online viewers took to the comments to share their astonishment.

“Tangaroa showing all the tricks! How incredibly cool is that!!” an Instagram user wrote.

Another commenter said they had been wary of seeing orca underwater, but “watching this has made me almost excited to see them now”, they wrote.

The Department of Conservation (DoC) said it had been made aware of the video after it was reported to them.

DoC senior science adviser Anton van Helden acknowledged having a marine mammal approach a boat so closely and of its own accord, would have been a “thrilling experience”.

“Regardless, we do strongly discourage people from reaching out or attempting to touch wild animals like orca,” he said.

Diver Jordy Bardin had an "insane interaction" with this orca which swam up to her boat off the Mercury Islands. Photo / Instagram @jordy_bards

Van Helden said DoC wanted to avoid copycat behaviour because of the “risk to people who try it and to the animals themselves”.

Under New Zealand law, it is illegal to touch or intentionally disturb orca or any other marine mammal.

Boats must keep at least 50m away, while swimmers and divers must remain at least 100m from the animals.

Those found in breach of the rules can face significant fines of up to $250,000.

“Keep marine mammals and their young safe by following the right rules for the environment and species,” van Helden said.

“This will make sure you and the animals have an enjoyable experience.”

Bardin wrote in a comment that she was “aware of the rules and regulations around cetaceans in NZ” and that “no contact was made”.

She also said the footage was taken “a few years ago”.