Sea creature spotted ‘surfing the waves’ in ‘special’ encounter off Iceland, photo shows

Conservationists got a “special” treat when they spotted a familiar sea creature near the coast of Iceland.

While navigating in the bay of Breidafjördur, located on the west coast of the island nation, conservationists observed Captain Hook, a male orca, “surfing the waves.”

“Among all the recent beautiful orca sightings, we had a special one today,” Orca Guardians, a nonprofit dedicated to orca protection, said in an April 25 news release.

A photo released by the organization depicts the black-and-white apex predator breaching the surface.

Captain Hook is at least 18 years old, as he has been visiting the waters near western Iceland since 2006 or earlier, the group said.

The killer whale, the only male in a pod of females, returns to the area in the summer months.

“He can regularly be spotted going his own ways, exploring territory and having new experiences,” the group said.

The largest members of the dolphin family, killer whales are found throughout every ocean on Earth, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“They often use a coordinated hunting strategy, working as a team like a pack of wolves,” according to NOAA.

Today, some of their populations throughout the world are threatened by overfishing, chemicals and ship traffic, the organization reports.

In recent years, populations of killer whales around Europe have attacked sailboats, sinking them on several occasions, according to previous reporting from McClatchy News.

Orca experts said the bizarre phenomenon is likely the result of a game-like behavior that’s “gotten way out of hand.”