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.
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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