Lunging humpback whale nearly swallows up surfer, kayaker

A woman on a surfboard and two people aboard a kayak were nearly engulfed by a humpback whale that charged out of the water, its mouth agape, just a few feet away. Barb Roettger's video of the amazing encounter, which occurred near Santa Cruz, Calif., was posted Wednesday.

Amazing video

Some people amaze me. This is a high degree of stupidity.

"We had our enforcement guy out on the Harbor Patrol boat yesterday trying to clear people away from the whales," Paul Michel, superintendent for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel on Wednesday. "We were out there again today on the water but of course the whales moved off. Once the bait fish went away the small pod dispersed. Wherever there is food they will be, so they could come back and we will keep enforcement going through the weekend."

These animals could easily crush a human.

Nature and people are starting to clash on the West Coast.

A recent thread about Great Whites and humans

It won't be long until another person is killed.

Complete Story with the Video

This video is amazing. Those are the new "Luckiest People in the World".

I doubt there was any danger to these people, remember whales are smart and they can see, so I´m sure this was just a small show they were performing for the close up spectators.

Originally posted by Waldy
I doubt there was any danger to these people, remember whales are smart and they can see, so I´m sure this was just a small show they were performing for the close up spectators.

I am sure you are correct.

It's not the Whales stupidity I am worried about.

It says the video is no longer available.

reply to post by Waldy


Whales may be smart, well smarter than these folk.
Why a surf board ? The sea is like a boating lake!
Whales & dangerous are`nt usually mentioned in the same sentence but I can remember the whale that breeched & landed on a sailing boat, causing quite abit of damage.

reply to post by whyamIhere


Humpback Whales are Baleen Whales. They eat krill and small fish as their throat is very small. The surfer and the kyaker were never in danger of being swallowed up.

reply to post by karen61057


However, If one surfaced below you...

It could ruin your day.

They were way too close.

DAMMIT!!!

I almost got to see if that whole Jonah thing was true. Mythbusters refused my demand for a reenactment... so I have been patiently waiting.