Penguin's Great Escape: Leaping to Safety from Killer Whales

A thrilling moment was captured this week by tourists traveling in the Gerlache Strait in Antarctica, as a Gentoo penguin attempted to flee from a pod of orcas chasing it.

"It was a truly fast-paced chase, almost surreal," shared the astonished group, who managed to make space in their boat just in time for the exhausted penguin to leap aboard with its last bit of strength.

"Initially, it couldn't make it up and just bumped against the side of the boat," recounted travel blogger Matt Karsten, who was on the boat with other tourists, including his wife Anna. The couple often conduct tours on their inflatable boat for travelers. "It fell back into the water a few times as it tried to jump onto the boat, and mere seconds before the orca pod could catch up to it - the penguin made it onto the boat and succeeded."

According to the couple, the drama unfolded as they sailed among the icebergs. "We suddenly saw a large group of whales playing nearby, swimming very close to us and even greeting us. Then something changed. Their behavior shifted, and we watched them chase the unfortunate penguin. It struggled many times until it finally escaped onto our boat, while the whales continued to follow us for a long time afterward.

"It looked as if they were waiting for it to fall back into the water or something. Ultimately, they gave up and swam away from us. Once we realized the coast was clear and the penguin was safe, we released it back into the icy waters. It was crazy to witness this live, like watching an episode of National Geographic right around you. I am sure the penguin felt a sense of relief when it finally jumped aboard our boat and survived," Matt concludes.