Whale-Watching Tourists Meters Away From Getting Hit By A Giant Tail

By Kelli Bender Oct 4th 2012

Hold onto your life jackets - things may get a little bumpy. According to the U.K. Daily Mail, tourists in the Antarctic Peninsula were shocked when a huge Humpback Whale tail breached the water right by their tiny raft. The lucky group managed to catch up with two of the 48-ton sea creatures that were making their way down the coast to feast on krill. Perhaps knowing he had an audience, one of the whales did a deep dive, allowing his impressive fluke to breach the water.



The whale tail barely missed landing on the raft of tourists a few meters away. The camera- happy group was shocked by the close encounter, but the picture-perfect moment didn't scare them off. Professional photographer and tour guide Tony Beck caught the meeting on his camera from another boat nearby. He told the Daily Mail, "I've learned to expect the unexpected - those on the boat were smiling, many cheered and laughed."

The tour guide knows when to prepare for a big show from the whales. Beck explains that the whales usually stay close to the surface to gather krill, breaching only slightly to release their breath. After several minutes of this, the animals try to go a little deeper and arch their backs for a deep dive.

"Whenever I see humpback whales doing this I know that their tail follows them out of the water," Beck told Daily Mail. "And, poof - they were gone for about six or seven minutes. When this happens, it's a real adrenaline rush."

The tour boat patrons can certainly attest to that rush. The whales, on the other fin, just went about their normal business, unaware of the show they had just put on.

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