If a giant fin popped up next to you in the ocean, what would you do: Swim away as fast as you can or erupt in spontaneous applause?
A group of surfers in Uluwatu, Indonesia chose the latter when a killer whale emerged from the water just a few yards from a popular surf spot.
As 14-year-old surfer Hayanna Iguchi Murakawa told the Indonesian surf website Indo Surf Life, "I was sitting in the line-up when I heard people cheering and screaming."
That's when she saw the orca's large dorsal fin rise from the water.
Local fishermen attempted to hunt the killer whale, Murakawa said, "but luckily the poor animal got away."
Paul Friese, founder of the conservationist shark nursery Bali Sharks, was watching from the shore and told HuffPost that the orca looked healthy, despite Indo Surf Life's report that it had been speared twice. He believes it was hanging around because of nearby squid fishermen, as squid is one of the many sea animals on the apex predator's menu.
For safety's sake, as soon as the orca disappeared out of view, the surfers got out of the water. According to the National Science Foundation's QUEST, orcas have "picky palates" and don't typically attack or eat humans, but their strength and size can make them dangerous to be with in the water (especially if you're a sea lion).
Friese called the close encounter a "rare blessing for the surfer that experienced it." Below, see more of majestic giant as it blesses the line-up -- and, now, the Internet -- with its presence.
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