Police officers' massive surprise as humpback whale breaches next to their patrol boat

A pair of Queensland officers have recorded incredible footage of their close encounter with a friendly humpback whale, who flipped and circled around their boat during a patrol with water police.

The officers, from Sarina Police Station in central Queensland, were assisting the water police on Sunday, when the magnificent whale came to play.

Sergeant Mick Jones and Constable Jemma Crowley were patrolling the exclusion zones and making sure both experienced and recreational fishermen were abiding by the rules, when the mammal came to say hello.

They had switched off their engines and were drifting near Hay Point and Dalrymple Bay as the whale breached right beside the boat.

“This whale came to check us out and continued to do it for about an hour,” Sgt Jones told the Mackay Daily Mercury.

“Rolling on its belly… you could see where a great white shark had tried to attack it.

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“You could look into its eyes, it was doing pirouettes, it would roll over and roll its head up,” he said.

He added that the whale was so close, he could even see its whiskers.

“It would just stay there, for a few minutes, and then it would roll over and swim away and it would keep coming back.”

The officers took pictures and video footage of the incredible whale, and even posed for a selfie with their new friend.