Video captures swimmers rushing to shore as killer whales approach

A pair of alarmed Canadian bathers have wasted no time getting ashore after spotting a pod of killer whales sweeping towards them.

Video of the close encounter, filmed in Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver, was uploaded to Instagram by witness Robin Léveillé on Monday.

It initially shows a pod of the whales breaching near a rocky shore, before the camera pans to show two men climbing out of the water.

It then pans back to reveal a small, possibly juvenile member of the pod surfacing just metres from the surprised swimmers.

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It is not clear why the animals approached the men, and some Instagram users have speculated the whales may have been hunting them.

Killer whales – also known as orcas – are largely reputed to be friendly towards human beings, however the marine mammals are known to actively hunt seals, which spend part of their lives around shorelines.

The video has since been viewed thousands of times.