This astonishing clip shot from a Monterey whale watching tour boat shows a humpback whale breaching out of the water beside a duo of paddlers, cannonballing right next to their sea kayak and flipping it over.
Humpback whales weigh between 30 and 50 tons and are regularly spotted swimming in Monterey Bay, a bustling feeding ground for ocean life on the California coast.
This one appears to have been playing near groups of kayakers and whale watchers before it decided to show off by flinging its enormous body into the air, almost landing directly onto the comparatively tiny boat.
Miraculously, neither of the kayakers were hurt by the encounter; they appeared on the water’s surface moments after the whale’s body slam, dazed, amazed, but happily unscathed.
The video appeared online via Sanctuary Cruises’ YouTube channel.