A kayaker in New Zealand has been caught in incredible drone footage swimming with a 3-4m orca, in what the man is calling the “orca waltz”.

Timothy Stewart was kayaking at Army Bay, on the Whangaparoa Peninsula just north of Auckland, when an orca swam up to the kayak.

Mr Stewart then slipped into the water to swim with the whale. By coincidence, TopVIEW Photography drone pilot Sam Kynman-Cole happened to have a drone in the air at the same time.

Watch the incredible orca waltz

“My natural spontaneous reaction to feel at one with them pulled me into the water, and gazing into the open mouth of my dance partner showing her teeth was surreal,” Mr Stewart told NZ news site, stuff.co.nz.

“She was beautiful and I felt at peace. I think towards the end my mind had a thought of her getting carried away and possibly pulling me down for a tango. I headed back to the kayak slowly not realising she was following on my heels.”

Mr Kynman-Cole said he was “totally stoked” to have captured Stewart’s latest encounter.

“It’s something I’ve practically dreamed of. For a long time I’ve hoped I could be in the right place at the right time,” he told Stuff.

“I like paddle boarding and every time I go out I’m hoping dolphins or orcas will come up to me, and I always make sure I have a GoPro with me, but until [Monday] I haven’t managed to capture anything great.”