Unlucky divers submerged in whale 'poonado'
A whale has caused a big stink for divers swimming off the coast of the Caribbean when it answered a sudden and rather large call from nature.
The group of explorers found themselves engulfed by an underwater poo cloud when a large, and arguably thoughtless, sperm whale decided, without warning, to relieve itself as they swam in waters off Dominica.
While most of us would scarper as fast as our flippers could take us, the four divers decided to photographically document their experience as the mammal released burst upon burst of faecal matter.
After its dramatic release, the beast flipped onto its side and used its tail to fan the excrement, turning the crystal blue waters into a heavy, brown mist that submerged the group.
It is not uncommon for whales to defecate before they descend, but this was a dump with a difference, reportedly spanning over 30 metres in diametre.
Described by photographer Keri Wilk as a 'poonado', the whale's bowel movement, in this instance, was believed to be a defence mechanism that is not often witnessed, let alone captured on camera.
It was like swimming in a pool of 'chocolate milk', Mr Wilk said.
To make matters worse, some of the divers chose not to wear scuba equipment for fear of disturbing the mammals.
Unfortunately for them, when the whale decided to let rip, those wearing just goggles and a snorkel got 'soaked from head to toe'.
"Four of us got into the water near the whale, then it slowly approached us, stopped and pointed itself straight down before the storm began," Mr Wilk explained.
"At first it seemed like a regular bowel movement but rather than continuing its dive down, it remained at the surface and continued to defecate for a startling length of time.
"Four of us looked at each other with confusion, then back at the whale, expecting that any second its call from nature would come to an end.
"Instead the whale bobbed up and down, spun in circles and waved the poo in every direction for several minutes while we just sat back and watched.
"The water was crystal clear, initially, and was the most idyllic Caribbean blue water you could imagine.
"After a few waves of faeces were released and stirred vigorously by the whale, the water was like chocolate milk, I couldn't see my hand when I held it in front of my face.
"I had poop in my eyes, mouth, wetsuit, everywhere and I was soaked in it from head to toe. But, after leaving the cloud, it quickly washed away, and didn't leave a smell on us.
"I did take an extra long shower once I returned to shore later that day, just in case.
"I've never heard of it happening before, and I don't know anyone that has had this happen, it very well could be the first time that it has been photographically documented."
For more pictures, visit Keri Wilk's Facebook page.
News break – January 23
