WATCH: Whale watchers in Santa Barbara experience rare humpback whale encounter
Passengers on a whale watching tour off the Santa Barbara coast got up-close and personal with a humpback whale on Tuesday.
The whale approached the Condor Express, and it was close enough that passengers could look the 30 ton animal in the eye.
The whale watching company said encounters like this do not often happen in the ocean, and the only way something like this will happen is if the animal initiates it. The company said all whale watching regulation guidelines were followed on that trip.