Pod of orca whales follows boat, stuns divers

A couple on vacation in Mexico has captured on video what appears to be a case of mistaken marine identity: a pod of 20 killer whales behaving like dolphins, jumping and playing in the wake of their boat.

Rich Howard and his wife, Laura, were on a diving trip in La Paz, Mexico, swimming with sea lions, when they were told to get out of the water, now, according to NBC news affiliate WFLA.

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A pod of 20 orca whales was bounding toward the boat, the station reported. The couple began recording a video as their new, rather enthusiastic friends, followed the boat for about an hour.

In the original video, you can hear the spectators screaming in delight at the whales as they jump out of the water inches beside the boat.

It's a friendlier image of the whales than their nickname, killer whale, might suggest. Furthermore, Wired magazine reported last week about a photographer who captured images of orca whales launching an attack against a pod of sperm whales.

The images show whales circling and teeth visible as the whales emerge at the surface of the water.

The magazine reported it was one of only a handful of similar underwater battles to be caught on camera.

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And to think, I was nearly ready to dive into the water with them.