SITKA, Alaska – An Alaska man says his boat was attacked by an orca during a fishing excursion with his 14-year-old son and two other people.
Victor Littlefield of Sitka says the killer whale repeatedly rammed the boat, yanked the anchor line and slapped the bow with its tail.
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He said the 33-foot aluminum boat initially lurched to one side while it was anchored Sunday near Little Biorka Island.
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The Daily Sitka Sentinel said Littlefield had just seen the movie, Jaws, and thought they were being attacked by a great white shark. Instead, it was an aggressive orca.
He says his son videotaped part of the encounter, which lasted a few minutes before the whale swam away. No one was injured.
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Albert Duncan of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says Littlefield notified the agency and provided video of the encounter.
Duncan says such attacks are rare.
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