This pod of whales surrounded Tom Waddington on his solo crossing of the Atlantic. Photo: Tom Waddington // Instagram
Tom Waddington is a ski coach who has been on a 2,000 nautical mile journey across an entire ocean. The solo trip, starting in Newfoundland, Canada and ending in Penzance, UK, is an attempt to break the world record for rowing across the North Atlantic. In the process, he also hopes to promote mental health awareness and raise money for Mind, a charity that provides advice and support to those struggling with their mental health.
Somewhere in the middle of that journey, though, Waddington came across something he had not prepared for: a pod of whales that decided to surround his boat. As Tom looked out on what his team believes was hundreds of long-finned pilot whales, he described his mixed emotions about the situation. “I love it, but I’m scared they’re going to hit my rudder,” he explained. ”They’re so close, I can hear them blowing bubbles.”
Soon after, a whale hit his boat and it seemed like Tom’s fears might have been realized. From there, he began attempting to row away from the pod, but the whales just kept on following him. Two hours later, he was still surrounded. “I don’t know what to do. I’m shitting myself they’re gonna hit the boat,” he explained. ”I can’t believe it. It’s an amazing sight, but also so scary.”
The whales eventually left Tom behind, but not without experience he’s unlikely to forget anytime soon.
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