Julie McSorley and Liz Cottrell were whale watching off the coast of Avila Beach in California when they were spooked by a humpback whale, causing them to fall from their kayaks.
The video shows the whale swallowing the two kayakers and the two girls, then ejecting them seconds later.
McSorelli recounted her experience in an interview:
“I saw a big school of fish and a big ball of bait coming out of the water. Then I saw the whale approaching and suddenly I was in the water.”
Cottrell said the whale was very close to her and she thought it would push her away if she got any closer. “I thought it was going to fall on me,” she said.
“And all of a sudden, I was underwater.” After the accident, the two girls were able to get out of the water with the help of water motors and other boats, and none of them were injured.
McSorelli explained that some people thought the whale was carrying a kayak in its mouth.
Federal guidelines recommend staying at least 100 feet away from these protected animals to minimize any potential interaction.
Whale & Dolphin Conservation confirmed that ship strikes can harm whales and pose a risk to people and ships as well.
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