Close-Up Encounter With Humpback Whale Delights California Kayakers

Kayakers and paddle boarders were delighted by the close presence of humpback whales near California’s Avila Beach on Sunday, November 1.

Mandy Boyle, who recorded the scene, told Storyful this was her first time whale watching. “I couldn’t help but feel awe and a sense of peace in their presence,” she said.

This experience contrasted greatly with her second encounter the next day, when she watched two of her fellow kayakers get capsized and almost swallowed by a whale. Credit: Mandy Boyle via Storyful