‘Shocking’ video captures orcas close to shore in Washington State

A pair of orcas were recently seen swimming remarkably close to the shore in Washington State, creating a stir among locals and online viewers. The unusual sighting occurred near Bella Bella Beach on Fox Island, off the coast of Tacoma.

Wildlife photographer Stephanie Morris captured the encounter on video, which has since gained significant traction on social media, exceeding five million views on Instagram. Morris, who has photographed whales in the area before, described this as the closest she has ever been to orcas.

Residents expressed surprise at the orcas' proximity to land. Morris explained that the close approach was facilitated by the geography of the area. A sandspit extends far into the water, but it is immediately followed by a steep drop-off, allowing marine mammals like orcas to swim near the shoreline without issue.

The video footage has sparked disbelief among some viewers due to the orcas' closeness to the beach, but Morris confirmed the authenticity of the sighting, attributing it to the unique underwater topography.

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I think people are having a hard time believing that the video could be real because they’re so close to shore, but it’s just a really really, the sandspit is super, it sticks out really far, but there’s a huge drop-off from that sandspit, which allowed them to get close to shore and it was shocking to see them that close to shore.