  Join 35 other subscribers   Diver Dragged Underwater by Whale
in New Zealand – What Species?   While the traumatized free
diver claims that an orca swam over, grabbed a catch bag that
was tied to his wrist, and dragged him underwater until he
almost ran out of breath, it is highly unlikely that this was
actually an orca.  For starters, orcas are unknown to attack
humans in the wild, nor would they likely be interested in
stealing a catch bag since the contents (which included
crayfish) are not likely to be part of their diet.  It sounds
much more like the work of a pilot whale, a species who have
been known to drag humans underwater, always returning them to
the surface just in time before drowning can occur. This appears
to be how the whales send people a message when they feel
harassed, and people don’t understand the warnings given by the
whales.  In May 1992 a swimmer entered waters south off Hawaii
and swam with a group of short-finned pilot whales. During the
encounter one whale dramatically changed i