March 5, 2021 – Two locals look fragile and exposed against the gigantic secrets of the sea beneath them as newly revealed drone footage shows a super close encounter for Zadar whale chasers
Upon hearing a whale had strayed in the Karin Sea, Igor Goić and Sandra Župan, decided to set off to try and get a closer look. They became Zadar whale chasers for the day. On 4 March 2021, Croatian media Vecernji List described the pair as great lovers of travel and exploration of natural beauty.
A couple of months ago, the Zadar whale chasers travelled to the bay, some 30 kilometres from the city, to try and catch a glimpse of the sizeable mammal. Two days ago, they published a drone video from the day which made them realise only now that the whale was much closer to them than they thought.
Zadar whale chasers spoke to the media
“Last year, on October 10th we followed a fin whale that got sidetracked in Karin bay. We thought that the closest he got near us was around 5-6m. Today, by checking some footage from the drone we found this,” they wrote on Instagram.
The Zadar whale chasers' drone footage was transferred to processing software, which sharpens the contrast and "fixed" the colours a bit. This allowed the pair to find out they were much closer to the whale than they previously thought. In fact, he passes directly beneath the Zadar whale chasers boat.
“When you are in a kayak, low above the (water) surface, you do not see anything from the empty glare,” said Zadar whale chasers cameraman and director Igor Goić to Morski.hr “and as we tested with the paddle, the visibility was maybe up to 2 meters (when you dip the whole paddle you can't see the other end).
Goić explained to the media that not only had the fixed footage revealed the surprise and previously unknown passage of the animal beneath them. There is also another shot where it comes alongside the Zadar whale chasers kayak and then turns on its side for a minute so it can watch them. Getting up close to nature is one thing, but when your kayak is dwarfed by such an amazing creature of the sea, perhaps some nearness is too close for comfort.
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