Trending
Surfers have no idea a massive whale is beneath them until it breaks through the water
I would have been terrified if this happened to me.
Cedric Jackson
07.30.20

Whales, which are marine mammals, are often misunderstood. People without knowledge of these massive creatures think they’re killers. But for the most part, they’re gentle giants of the sea.

A few interesting facts

Most people don’t know that the hippopotamus is the closest living creature to the whale. Also, these mammals belong to one of eight families. Not only is the Blue Whale the largest of these mammals but also the biggest animal in the entire world. Due to their incredible size and the fact they’re typically not aggressive, whale watching excursions have become increasingly more popular over the years.

Unsplash/guille pozzi
Source:
Unsplash/guille pozzi

Shared space

Along with whales, people also enjoy spending time in and around the ocean. Surfers are a perfect example. Although their primary goal is to catch a big wave and ride it all the way back to shore, sometimes, they experience some unexpected things.

Unsplash/Troy Williams
Source:
Unsplash/Troy Williams

Unbelievable experiences

Considering surfers are sharing the same water as whales, there are times when they experience things non-surfers can only dream about. One of these is when a whale breaches, meaning it jumps into the air and then lands back in the ocean. Being so large, it’s amazing they can do this.

Unsplash/Bryan Thompson
Source:
Unsplash/Bryan Thompson

Captured on video

But on rare occasions, whether using a drone or while in a plane, someone captures both a whale and surfers together. Depending on the situation, the people surfing might not even know there’s a gigantic mammal nearby.

YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management

A surprising day

That’s what happened off the Southern California coast. A group of surfers were enjoying a gorgeous day. The only thing on their mind was catching big waves. But they’d soon discover they weren’t alone in the water that day.

YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management

A spectacular view

Approximately 15 to 20 surfers, all wearing wetsuits, were in the ocean waiting for the waves to roll in. They’re having a blast, totally unaware that not far away, a massive whale is slowly approaching them.

YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management

Closer and closer

As the video continues to play, you can see the whale making its way closer to the group of surfers. Still, they have no idea what’s lurking beneath the water. You can’t help but feel a little bit of tension, wondering how it’s going to turn out.

YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management

Little splashes

From the air, the only thing that’s noticeable is a few small splashes as the whale’s tail hits the surface of the water. Whether or not any of the surfers noticed is yet to be seen. Considering there’s still some distance between them, probably not.

YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management

Disappearing act

Once the whale gets pretty close to the surfers, it quietly goes deeper into the water. At that point, you can still see it from the sky but the outline of its body becomes less visible as it approaches the group.

YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management

There it is

When the whale is a mere 20 feet from the surfers, it comes back up, now showing itself in all its glory. That’s when the surfers see it. But instead of panicking, they sit quietly on their surfboards, watching and waiting.

YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management

So close

As the whale swims right into the middle of the group, it gets just a couple of feet away from one surfer. Yet, they all remain calm. But then, the one that was super close, begins to paddle away. The whale continues to maneuver its huge body around the others and then swims off.

YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/Storyful Rights Management

This is a fantastic video. It’s obvious the whale didn’t want to harm anyone…it was just curious. And the surfers did the right thing by not splashing around in the water. With this footage, they’ll always have a reminder of the day they swam with a whale.

To see this for yourself, click on the video below.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

[like_cta]

Source: YouTube, Wikipedia

Advertisement