A video of a woman surfer having a very close encounter with two humpback whales went viral this past week.
“Woman floating on a surfboard near Santa Cruz, California almost ended up on the lunch menu for a humpback whale over the weekend,” reads the caption of the video posted to YouTube.
The video shows a surfer and two people in a kayak floating off the shore in California. Seconds later, two massive humpback whales emerged from the water in search of food only a few feet away from them.
The group wasn’t harmed by the encounter but clearly shaken up, as you can see the surfer quickly paddling away from the whales as soon as they appear.
According to USA Today, the video was filmed by Barb Roettger who was shooting the trio chatting in the water.
“Barb Roettger had her camera rolling as two hefty whales popped out of the calm waters not far from the unsuspecting surfer and a pair of kayakers,” read the caption.
According to CBS, the U.S. Coast Guard has been monitoring the waters off Santa Cruz, where a pod of whales has settled unusually close to shore.
This week, the sanctuary and Coast Guard issued warnings for people to stay at least 100 yards away from the whales or face fines of at least $2,500 for whale harassment, reported CBS, because since the whales arrival, the waters have become dangerous for surfers and boaters, who have been trying to get a closer look at the animals.
Check out the video.
