A father and son duo experienced a great fishing trip on Wednesday when a gigantic humpback whale broke the surface inches from them. According to a report on NBC News, they went striped bass and tuna fishing off the coast of New Jersey near Belmar.
A video of the moment was captured by the son, Zach Piller, who posted it on Instagram three days ago. "Epic whale footage. Hitting the side of our boat! -Original video," wrote Mr Piller while sharing the post.
The footage begins with frantic movement in the water, and within a fraction of a second, thousands of little fish can be seen coming out of the water, followed by the huge head of a whale emerging at the side of the duo's boat.
Mr Piller can also be heard screaming in excitement after watching the enormous beast breach the surface of the water. "Got that on video," he further said. The whale's head landed with a splash, and it was quickly submerged in the sea.
According to Mr Piller, small fish are abundant nearshore this time of year, which attracts whales and other crustaceans that consume them.
He told the outlet that the weather was extremely pleasant on Wednesday, with a high temperature of 70 degrees and the water tranquil and glassy.
The father-son duo were riding an 18-foot Starcraft designed by his father. It is situated at a marina in Belmar.
SeaWorld San Diego vice president of zoological operations, Eric Otjen, told NBC News that apparent humpback whales feeding on small fish near shore is nothing unusual, but breaching near a boat is.
