An up-close encounter with killer whales, on video

When Rich German, a stand-up paddle board enthusiast, heard there was a pod of orcas off the coast of Laguna Beach last week, he quickly paddled out to investigate for himself. The video he shot when he encountered the majestic animals soon started making its way all over the West Coast and across the country.

The group of five orcas -- including a baby -- surrounded him, spewing bursts from their blowholes and diving under his board.

Describing the experience on Facebook, German wrote, "The one coming directly at me was quite curious and came within inches of my board."

He called the experience a dream come true and said that he wanted to share the footage he captured with his GoPro to "raise awareness for these incredible, magical creatures."

Orcas are endangered in Canada and the United States, and have been the center of much debate about keeping whales in captivity in marine parks such as SeaWorld.