Caught on camera: Humpback whale breaches on top of two kayakers

Two kayakers are safe after a close encounter with a humpback whale which could’ve turned out much differently. A whale breaching on top of two kayakers was caught on camera in a video that’s gone viral.

Sean Furey was leading a small group of kayakers on a whale watching tour near Moss Landing on Saturday. After several hours on the ocean, they began to make their way back to shore. That’s when the unforgettable happened.

“I look back and I see a whale breach right next to this kayaker,” Furey said.

That fluke incident, caught on camera. As the whale breached, it landed on two tourists who walked away unhurt. They were brought back to shore and while in shock, were in good spirits. The 18′ kayak they were in showed little damage, with some crushing near the front and a dent on the side.

“We went over there, verified that they were OK,” said Sanctuary Cruises Captain Michael Sack.

Sack is a longtime kayaker who says this incident goes to show marine life in the Monterey Bay can be unpredictable.

“It’s nature and these are wild animals,” Sack said. “So there’s certainly no predicting what they’re going to do.”

And sometimes even safe distances can offer a false sense of security.

“These animals are feeding and they’re making large circles looking for fish,” Sack said. “So even if you are within 100 or 200 yards, it’s certainly possible they’ll, during one of their circles or during one of their predation, they’ll come near you.”

Which is why Monterey Bay Kayaks has decided to stop doing these tours in the meantime.

“This is their time to feed,” Furey said. “Get enough food on their migratory path and if
we are making that harder on them, then we aren’t doing our job.”

But for the two tourists who are back home in the U.K., this is certainly a whale of a tale.