A woman’s viral video is making other people cry, because it shows her raw emotion as she encountered orcas in the wild. The free diver, Ellie Hayden, was somewhere off the coast of New Zealand when suddenly, three killer whales started swimming toward her and her diving partner. Judging by her reaction, she was absolutely thrilled and overwhelmed. Her video went viral, and many people are chiming in saying the video made them feel emotional.
“The best moment of my entire life,” Hayden wrote in her Instagram post sharing the special moment. “I’m still in complete shock that this is something I got to experience in this lifetime and I could have never imagined the scale of emotions this brought on—Orca hold some BIG energy in them.”
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Hayden explains that three orcas came “out of the blue” and began swimming straight toward the free divers. She says the animals chose to interact with them.
“They swam in so close, gliding just under our fins, and when they turned around and looked us in the eyes it was the most profound feeling,” she adds. “My whole body was shaking, not once did it in any way feel threatening.”
“[I’m] so glad you left the audio in [because] that would be me exactly,” wrote one person in the comments section.
“This video made me cry!” wrote another. “Your joy, their curiosity and presence . . . I felt it through the screen! You could tell they could feel your energy too and you piqued their interest knowing you weren’t a threat! What a magical experience! Thank you for sharing!”
Watch as three killer whales swim toward a free diver and cause a raw emotional reaction:
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