Lin Qiyan and the others were so cold their knuckles had turned blue, but they all kept smiling for the camera, doing their best to show their good side.
Lu Ao watched from the sidelines, feeling a little moved.
The show had a script, and if a shot did not turn out right, they had to do it over and over. The process could be rather tedious.
Lu Ao was growing drowsy when someone suddenly shouted, "Look, orcas!"
He jolted awake and turned toward the sea.
Sure enough, a pod of black-and-white orcas was swimming across the surface.
There were many kinds of whales and dolphins around Antarctica, including several kinds of orcas. Seeing them here was nothing unusual.
Lu Ao watched for a while and realized these were the same orcas that had come to play with him before dawn.
Somehow, they had found him again. Once they spotted him, they squeaked and swam toward the ship.
Their large research vessel dwarfed the orcas. Unlike when they saw humpback whales or blue whales, nobody was frightened. Instead, people crowded excitedly onto the deck, hoping to take photos with them.
The researchers eagerly brought out every drone and camera they had, recording the orcas' movements for further study.
The orcas were lively and interacted well with people.
Everyone seized the chance to take photos and videos with them.
"We're incredibly lucky. We've only been here a few days, and we've already seen so much marine life." The director was beaming. "Quick, everyone, get some footage of yourselves interacting with the orcas!"
One of the young actors raised a hand. He glanced nervously at the orcas in the water, then at the director. "Director, aren't orcas also called killer whales?"
The cameraman faithfully captured the moment.
His fear was one part