Coast Guard officers get close-up view of orcas

BELLINGHAM BAY, Wash. - Members of the US Coast Guard Pacific Northwest division witnessed a rare sight on Tuesday, May 26, when a pod of orcas surfaced near their boat during a training exercise off Bellingham Bay, Washington.

After the sailors saw the animals, “we came to all stops and secured the engines,” crewmember Roy Hawes said.

“The whales seemed to have decided to check us out, and came by the boat before heading to deeper water,” Hawes added.