South African Diver's Miraculous Escape From A Whale's Mouth Caught On Camera
"In early February 2019, 51-year-old Rainer Schimpf and his team set out to film South Africa's famous Sardine Run off the coast of Point Elizabeth. The annual migration of billions of Sardinops sagax, more commonly known as South African pilchards or sardines, is a big draw for predators, especially the Cape gannet, a beautiful, cream-colored seabird, and the common dolphin. The two species work together to herd the large group of fish and separate them into smaller shoals known as bait balls, which are then scooped up by not just the birds and the dolphins, but also other hunters such as copper sharks and Bryde's whales.
In an attempt to obtain the best footage of the incredible natural phenomenon, which has been the subject of numerous documentaries, Rainer plunged into the middle of a swirling ball of fish. Suddenly the sea churned, and the experienced diver and his photographer Heinz Toperczer, who was filming from the boat, instantly realized something strange was going on.
Toperczer later told Barcroft TV, “As Rainer moved towards the bait ball, suddenly the water churned widely up, and I knew for sure that something was about to happen, so I held the focus of my camera on him firmly. Suddenly, dolphins shot out of the water, a white spray came out and then a whale appeared and grabbed him!”
Please note: The above information comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.
"In early February 2019, 51-year-old Rainer Schimpf and his team set out to film South Africa's famous Sardine Run off the coast of Point Elizabeth. The annual migration of billions of Sardinops sagax, more commonly known as South African pilchards or sardines, is a big draw for predators, especially the Cape gannet, a beautiful, cream-colored seabird, and the common dolphin. The two species work together to herd the large group of fish and separate them into smaller shoals known as bait balls, which are then scooped up by not just the birds and the dolphins, but also other hunters such as copper sharks and Bryde's whales.
In an attempt to obtain the best footage of the incredible natural phenomenon, which has been the subject of numerous documentaries, Rainer plunged into the middle of a swirling ball of fish. Suddenly the sea churned, and the experienced diver and his photographer Heinz Toperczer, who was filming from the boat, instantly realized something strange was going on.
Toperczer later told Barcroft TV, “As Rainer moved towards the bait ball, suddenly the water churned widely up, and I knew for sure that something was about to happen, so I held the focus of my camera on him firmly. Suddenly, dolphins shot out of the water, a white spray came out and then a whale appeared and grabbed him!”
Please note: The above information comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.
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