The humpback whale suddenly surfaced underneath the kayak and capsized it.
Internet is a storehouse of strange content that never fails to amaze you. There are some moments caught on camera that keep surfacing again and again and are capable of sending shivers down your spine every time. Like the video of a humpback whale that nearly swallowed two kayakers. The incident took place at a beach in California in November 2020, when the kayakers were simply watching the movement of whales. The clip was originally posted on Facebook by Kellie Balentine and later made available by ViralHog.
It has again gone viral on social media, with many Reddit users posting the clip on various boards.
Julie McSorley and Liz Cottriel, the two friends who narrowly escaped death, were watching the humpback whales feed on silverfish when one surfaced underneath their kayak, capsized it and nearly swallowed the two.
Julie recalled the harrowing incident while speaking to CNN days later. The woman said before she could understand anything, she was in water.
She further said that the two friends learned an important lesson in life: "Whales need their space."
Footage of the incident, recorded by an onlooker, makes it seem like the two were nearly swallowed by the whale. Thankfully, they just tipped over and ended up in water after the whale left.
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), humpback whales typically feed on krill and small fish. They are powerful swimmers and are found near coastlines.
It further said that commercial whaling has severely reduced humpback whale numbers from historical levels. The United States lists all humpback whales as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act in 1970 and then under the Endangered Species Act in 1973.
Ms McSorley, meanwhile, told CBC that she won't be kayaking again when the whales are out unless she can keep a football field's distance from the creatures.
