Tourist's close call with massive humpback whale slammed: 'Not ok'
A woman got a bit more than what she bargained for when a massive humpback whale soared so close she could almost "touch it".
The incredible sight was captured by another passenger on what seems to be a tour boat in Maui, an island in Hawaii which is famous for watching migrations of humpback whales.
"Remember that time last February, when a humpback whale almost jumped onto our boat?!" Hannah captioned the now viral Tiktok video on Wednesday.
"We were stopped and drifting for more than 30 minutes with two humpbacks curiously checking out our boat, when all of a sudden one breached so close that you could have reached out to touch it! We were definitely in the splash zone!"
In the video, the passenger is first recording someone else reaching into the ocean when suddenly, splashes and screams of both excitement and fear are heard from behind at which point they pan to the huge humpback whale soaring only metres away from the boat.
"After this unexpected breach, the whale went right back to swimming around under the boat. Luckily a passenger took this video or you’d never believe it!" Hannah said. "Always respect the wildlife."
According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources in Hawaii, as of this year, new boat speeds have been recommended, with vessels urged to sail 28 km/h or less to reduce collisions with whales to protect both the animals and humans.
Social media users react to humpback whale video
Hannah's footage of the mammal got more than 3.5 million views, with many shocked that the tourists seemed to not be wearing protective gear.
"Lack of life jackets on is not okay," one person said on TikTok.
"Not a single one wearing a life jacket," another agreed.
Other viewers also questioned why the boat was so close to the whales. "All fun and games till he lands on on top of the boat," they commented.
Boat collisions are among main threats to whales
After whale hunting became illegal, whale watching has become a huge world-wide multi-billion dollar industry, with the east coast of Australia benefiting hugely. The growth is mainly due to endangered species like humpback whales recovering from whale hunting and people wanting to learn more about them.
However CEO of Australian Marine Conservation Society Darren Kindleysides previously told Yahoo News Australia that “boat strikes are one of the main threats to whales globally, and it’s something that is on the increase".
In Australia, boats should travel at a low speed and stay at least 100 metres away from whales, with touching and feeding not allowed.
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“The rules around how close you can get to a whale on a boat are as much to protect the people as they are to protect the whales, because these are large animals in the wild and a small boat hitting the whale at speed can throw people from the vessel or could turn the boat over,” Mr Kindleysides said.
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