Kayaker's 'magical' encounter off Sydney beach dubbed 'special footage'

Incredible footage has captured a kayaker's "indescribable" encounter paddling just metres away from four giants of the sea.

While Danny was completing his usual kayak ride from North Bondi to Coogee on Monday morning, he noticed what appears to be two pairs of humpback whales breaching about 2km off Bronte.

Mesmerised by what he saw, the Bondi local went on to experience a rare moment with the mammals that lasted about 30 minutes, while travelling together to north Bondi.

"It's an amazing feeling to be so close to them. It's indescribable," he told Yahoo News Australia. "It's a feeling like nothing else I have experienced, especially when I can see their huge eyes looking at me and hearing the high pitch songs."

While there are rules that govern how the public is allowed to approach whales in certain situations, in this case, the huge creatures didn't seem to mind having an extra companion during their long commute.

"They didn't seem to mind my company, they were just cruising," Danny said.

Photographer captures moment man and whales crossover

Spotting the wondrous moment from afar, Bondi photographer Robin Cooiman decided to capture it on his drone as they were heading towards him at Ben Buckler in north Bondi.

"I’ve filmed many whales with boats next to them but never a kayak... I knew it was special footage," Mr Cooiman, who is originally from the Netherlands, told Yahoo.

Knowing Danny would appreciate the footage, he "whistled as hard as [he] could" to get the stranger's attention, which he ended up being very grateful for.

• Fears Australia is 'jumping the gun' with humpback whale decision

• Tourist's close call with massive humpback whale slammed: 'Not ok'

• Swimmers' incredible encounter with whales off Bondi Beach: ‘Pure joy’

Social media users react to video

Given that Danny paddles in the area every week, this was actually his third time this year having a close encounter with humpback whales, who usually can be seen in the early morning in the area during winter.

"We should nickname you Jonah," one person joked on his Instagram post. "Just don’t get swallowed by one for the love of God!"

"Amazing shot! You’re so lucky!" another said. "This is magical!!" a third person agreed.

Many also praised Mr Cooiman for sharing the footage. "This is SO incredibly special. What a capture —thanks for sharing!" someone said on his Instagram post.

Humpback whale are a protected species found off coastal Australia, and can be seen in Sydney in June, July and August, according to the Australian Museum. They feed on krill and small schooling fish and spend Summer in the Antarctic, before travelling north during winter to breed.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.