Wellingtonians treated to close encounter with orca whales during lockdown walk

Stuart Taylor and his family spotted the pod of about five orca whales at Karehana Bay in Plimmerton yesterday.

If there's ever been a time to live 100 metres from Karehana Bay in Plimmerton, just north of Wellington, it was yesterday evening.

Stuart Taylor and his family saw a post on Facebook about a pod of whales out in the bay so they jetted down the road to the Plimmerton Boating Club's boat ramp for a glimpse.

They got more than they bargained for on their daily lockdown walk, however, getting up close to a pod of about five massive orca whales.

Mr Taylor told 1 NEWS this morning they came as close as one metre from the giant species.

"It was completely amazing," he said, noting his children were screaming with excitement.

"They came right up to everyone and I was just gobsmacked, it was unbelievable to see."

Mr Taylor said they'd seen orca in the harbour before, but never that close. 

He caught the experience on video, with an close-up shot of one estimated to be about five metres long.

However, he said he also saw an even bigger one, with its fin alone about two metres in length.

Mr Taylor's son can be heard on camera shouting, "it's the size of a megalodon [shark]!"

The experience was only about 10 minutes long so Mr Taylor said it was "brilliant timing" they made it to the waterside in time, but he was gutted for his recently visiting family who couldn't enjoy it too.

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