Whale of a time! Tourists whoop with excitement as killer whale chases their boat in the Gulf of California

 This is the moment tourists whoop with excitement as a huge killer whale chases their boat along the Gulf of California.

The tourists were enjoying a fishing trip off the coast of the Mexican state of Sinaloa on February 20 when the orca appeared and chased their boat for several minutes.Footage was shared by Beatriz Acevedo Tachna the following day on Twitter, where it has racked up more than 342,000 views and been retweeted thousands of times. 

A group of tourists had an unusual experience when an orca followed their boat off the coast of Sinaloa, Mexico, on February 20

She captioned the clip: 'The rocks of El Farallon near Sinaloa today February 20… wait for it.'

In the footage, the large killer whale is seen leaping in and out of the water as the boat apparently speeds away at full throttle.

Meanwhile, the men on the boat are heard excitedly cheering every time the orca appears above the water surface.

A second video, shot from a nearby vessel, also shows the whale chasing the boat. 

Local media said sightings of killer whales have become more common in recent years as they migrate to Mexican waters in the winter in search of a warmer environment to breed before returning to the icy waters of the North Pacific.

In the footage, the large killer whale is seen leaping in and out of the water as the boat apparently speeds away at full throttle

Meanwhile, the men on the boat are heard excitedly cheering every time the marine mammal appears above the water surface

Despite their fearsome name, killer whales are known to be social animals and no fatal attacks on humans have ever been recorded.

They have the second-heaviest brains among marine mammals and are regarded as highly intelligent creatures. 

Whales typically live in matrilineal 'pods' headed by the eldest female and stay close to their mothers throughout their lives. 

Their social structures are among the most complex of mammals, with only elephants and primates living in comparable groupings.

Killer whales often show signs of play-fighting and synchronised swimming, further evidence of the relationships that exist within pods.