The Woman Who Swims with Killer Whales

31st August 2011

Despite being up to seven metres long, curious in nature and undoubtedly one of the most intelligent creatures in the ocean, little is known about one of the most feared predators in the deep blue; the infamous Killer whale. 

The Woman Who Swims with Killer Whales charts a year in the life of Dr Ingrid Visser, the only marine biologist in the world to swim with wild orcas.  By swimming with her beloved whales, she knows almost all of them by sight. 

However, life is not so easy for the whales she so loves; as the programme progresses, Visser unearths some disturbing new findings about the health of our oceans.  Through new hunting behaviour revelations and dramatic rescues, Visser’s findings are likely to rock the boat in the world of marine biology.

If watching the BBC2 documentary makes you curious about life under the waves, our choice of Polar adventures may entice you. Whilst travelling south along the coast of Greenland on Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland, our Polar product specialist, Sarah Ahern, sighted two impressively large humpbacks swimming towards her, but also a pod of orcas circling her ship for half an hour.  Not only does this trip offer diverse wildlife, pristine and desolate landscapes but also the chance to get up close to some of the most astounding creatures of the sea.

The remote polar regions are not the only options for whale watching. Take a look at our Canadian Rockies & Vancouver Island adventure where a boat trip through the spectacular wilderness of the Inside Passage will reveal one of the richest marine habitats in the world.  Equally, our Whales and Leopards of Sri Lanka trip offers the opportunity to experience an unparalleled aquatic adventure with blue and sperm whales just off the south coast. South Africa is also a hotspot for the mighty Southern right whales.

Catch The Woman Who Swims with Killer Whales on BBC2 on Wednesday 31st August at 8pm.