An Auckland paddleboarder was left "buzzing" after a close encounter with two playful orca whales at a North Shore beach.
Justin Serville was paddling off Castor Bay beach at around 10am on Friday when the orcas came to say hi.
Filming on his Go Pro, Serville can be heard greeting the whales as they swim around him.
"Woah, beautiful, beautiful," he says.
"Hello, hello, hello gorgeous. How are you? Hello, hello darlings. Look at you guys, wanting to say hello."
Serville told Checkpoint it was not the first time he had encountered orcas in the water but the creatures seemed very relaxed around him.
Photo: Supplied / Justin Serville
He assumed they were juveniles - given their smaller size - and said they were playfully rolling under the board.
"I just wanted to pat them like puppy dogs, they were so playful."
Serville said he would like to think one of the whales smiled at him as they were giving off a "really good vibe".
"I just see them as beautiful, loving creatures, free, playful, so that's the energy I put out so I'm really relaxed around them and obviously that energy came back."
He said he was "quite tempted" to jump in the water with them, but knew it was prohibited.
But Serville said the experience left him "buzzing" and he was "over the moon" to catch the footage and share it with the community.
The Department of Conservation website said it was an offence under the Marine Mammals Protection Regulations 1992 to swim within 100 metres of a whale.
"For the purpose of the protection regulations, a whale is defined as all species commonly known as whales; and includes baleen whales, sperm whales, beaked whales, killer whales, and pilot whales. The penalty for breaching the regulations is a $10,000 fine."
The department said orcas were the most "widely distributed mammal on earth with the exception of humans".
The species has a population of 150-200 in New Zealand waters.
