A pod of more than 1,000 whales rocked that boat of a solo rower on a journey across the Atlantic Ocean, blowing bubbles as they followed him for hours in a stunning scene that he captured on video.
Tom Waddington, who is rowing the Atlantic to raise money and awareness for mental health, says he was recently visited by a pod of more than 1,000 long-finned pilot whales.
In a video shared on Instagram, Waddington said it was an amazing experience until one of the “excitable” whales slammed into the side of his boat.
“What a special treat. I’ve seen loads of whales...I was getting a bit down because it was raining all morning,” Waddington said as he documented the sight. “I’m two hours in and I’m rowing with thousands of whales. One dinged the boat earlier and I don’t know what to do. I’m [expletive] myself.”
Waddington said the whales were just being playful but he was terrified one was going to hit his rudder in the process.
“As a solo, unsupported ocean rower, losing a rudder would be a major problem,” Waddington’s Instagram caption noted.
The whales stuck around for hours as Waddington continued to row east before they eventually left him alone.
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