Residents concerned over boaters surrounding orcas in the Puget Sound

FOX ISLAND, Wash. - A family in the South Sound captured amazing video of orcas this week, but what shocked them most is how inconsiderate and dangerous some people acted on the water near the whales.

Janet Garrard-Willis and her husband David Willis have called Fox Island home for six years. 

But the family is getting ready to pack up and head east, so this week they got on the water for one of their last times before they move. It was memorable, to say the least. 

“I think seeing a big orca whale pop up next to your boat transcends words,” said Garrard-Willis.

The two were able to capture video and pictures of several orcas, an experience they said they never had in their years living along the water in Fox Island.

What they said is most surprising about the experience is how inconsiderate some folks acted around the orcas.

“(The boaters) were circling very closely to the whales for a very lengthy period of time, which is dangerous for the whales and also dangerous for them,” said Garrard-Willis.

While the family worked to maintain a safe distance from the whales, they said other boaters got very close.

The family said luckily no people or whales got hurt. But those boaters and jet-skiers were breaking the law. Federal regulations require boaters to stay 400 yards away from an orca's path, and state law says you can't get within 300 yards of our native southern resident orcas. You also have to turn off your engine when they're around. 

For more information on how to stay safe and keep our orcas safe while you’re out on the water click here.