VIDEO: TX Fishing Group Got Up Close And Personal With Killer Whale Pod

One super lucky fishing group got to experience something "extremely rare" this week.

After catching tuna and snapper, the group aboard the New Buccaneer had an unforgettable encounter.

Captain Sam Hardeman told WFAA 8, "I was driving along, and I saw something off the port bow."

There was a pod of about 100 orcas just off the coast of Galveston.

It took a few minutes for Hardeman to realize what was happening.

"We got closer, I thought it might be some pilot whales so I started to slow down. Before I knew it, the killer whales, they were just on us. t happened immediately."

The group slowed down and just watched the whales for about 20 minutes. According to Hardeman, they initially saw around 100 orcas, but then a group of around 30 to 50 of the animals started following the boat.

He said, "Seemed like they were having a good time."

Animal Husbandry Manager with Moody Gardens Greg Whittaker said that there is a small population of orcas that live in the Gulf of Mexico, but spotting them is actually an extremely rare occurrence. He said, "Every three years or so there's a similar report."

Hardeman said, "I realize that I'll never see that again in the wild."

Photo: Getty Images