Main content

Spyhopping

Gordon Buchanan is finally going to get the chance to film killer whales in UK waters. So many whales have turned up it becomes very difficult to estimate just how many there are, possibly as many as 100. The whales have come for the easy pickings to be had when the fishing boat's nets are hauled back into the boat. Scientists now think the whales may be benefitting from the fisheries which may be boosting their numbers. Gordon is ecstatic to find killer whales less than 15 metres away from the boat, a rare privilege. Trying to tell one whale from the next is difficult and usually done through careful study of the white and grey markings on their flanks. Gordon can see some very large males with huge dorsal fins cruising around in the distance. The killer whales are curious, standing up in the water, looking at Gordon and the boat in a behaviour called spyhopping, but to Gordon it's as though they are just showing off.

Release date:

Duration:

3 minutes

Featured in...

More clips from High Seas with Gordon Buchanan