As surfers, we easily get caught up in the frivolous bullsh*t in surfing.
Another new board. WSL drama. Quads vs. thrusters. Filipe Toledo’s personal life. Jamie O’Brien’s latest shenanigans. Take your pick.
Then something comes along that reminds us what surfing’s really about—a great session, one amazing wave, or an encounter with sealife like the one below.
Related: Watch: Pure Mayhem at the Superbank Redefines a Crowded Surf Spot
The footage is the latest from San Diego-based ocean photographer and wildlife advocate, Scott Fairchild.
Fairchild captioned the clip above:
“Yesterday in San Diego! Shockingly, the surfer never saw it. Never even noticed it was there.”
The clip above shows a huge gray whale cruising through the water heading straight toward a shortboarder.
Just before reaching the surfer, the whale takes a sharp left and almost (accidentally) whips the surfer with its tail.
Instead, it just cruises away and disappears.
Fairchild’s followers were stoked for, and a little envious of, the the surfer’s encounter. But everyone agreed that he had no idea about his visitor.
Check out the comments below:
“Bro are you serious! You gotta text me right away when you see whales I’ll be there in 11 seconds flat!!! That’s so epic!”
“I really thought the was going to hit the surfer on purpose in an orca way”
“That guy had the encounter of a lifetime and totally missed it!”
“I cannot imagine not realizing a whale is right by me/under me. I’d be so upset if I didn’t notice, so cool!”
“How sad for the surfer- an experience of a lifetime!!”
“Wow, looks like he never saw it. That would’ve been incredible for him.”
All signs point to this being the same gray whale that we reported on a few days ago. Lucky people.
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