This is the terrifying moment a massive whale jumped to the surface, only feet away from two astonished kayakers.
The couple were paddling around near Monterey Bay in California, USA, casually minding their own business, hoping to spot whales in the distance.
But then the 40-foot-tall, 80,000-pound beast appeared out of the water, almost touching the stunned couple who couldn’t believe their eyes.
The law states that no one should approach a whale within 100 yards of it, but the beast chose to surprise them instead.
Giancarlo Thomae, a marine biologist from Moss Landing, California, filmed the scene while on a day excursion whale watching last weekend.
‘We were kayak whale watching, and the whales simply came right up to us,’ he explained. They were remarkably graceful for being among of the largest animals on the earth.
‘The entire interaction between Karen and I lasted about three-quarters of a second.
‘The whale dove three feet from her kayak without getting a drop of water in it.
‘Humpback whales are incredibly interested and playful animals that become very familiar with kayaks and boaters – perhaps a little too friendly at times.’
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