By 3 News online staff
It was a close encounter of the mammalian kind when a group of spear fishers near Little Barrier Island came across a pod of orca whales recently.
The video was uploaded to YouTube by Sam Galloway who said the group he was with did laps of the island twice while hunting stingray in the shallows.
While the larger ones "weren't very interested" in the group, the more adventurous calves ventured a bit closer.
In the video, at least four orcas can be seen swimming by the camera with one of the group completely taken aback by the experience.
"No way!" he laughed.
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