THIS is the stunning moment a whale and its calf jumped out of the sea right next to awed kayakers.
Kayakers in Costa Rica were treated to the amazing spectacle last month while out on the water.
The Mamawata Surf Retreat spotted the humpback and its calf on August 23.
Before heading out, the group were hoping to see some whales as they kayaked at Playa Escondido – and they were not disappointed.
They captured stunning footage of the humpbacks breaching right next to them a number of times as they watched on in astonishment.
The beginning of the video shows the two whales breaching the water just metres away before disappearing back underneath the surface.
But moments later, the larger humpback launches itself out of the water before it comes crashing back down sending waves towards the kayakers.
Members of the group are seen looking back at the camera, mouths agape in shock at what they just witnessed.
They continued to watch, hoping to get another glimpse of the whales who were clearly putting on a show.
As the humpbacks swam further away, they can be seen breaching the water numerous times as the kayakers point and laugh in delight at what they’re seeing before they eventually swim away.
A member of Mamawata Surf Retreat posted the video on Instagram alongside the caption: “We were secretly hoping to maybe spot some whales since my boyfriend and I had been seeing them from our house the past few days.
“But honestly, we had no expectations. What we didn’t know was that this mama and her baby were about to put on this kind of show for us!
“At first, they were just swimming and coming up for air around us, and then this happened!”
Their video has been seen over 1 million times and users flocked to the comments in awe.
One user said: “Beautiful and very fortunate! I only got to experience one time, the best experience of my life on the water.”
“Kayaking amongst those beautiful creatures is such an incredible experience,” added another.
A third added: “Unbelievable! That must have been an unforgettable experience!”
Humpback whales are common and frequently seen in Costa Rica’s Pacific waters but it’s rare to get such close footage of them breaching the water.
The country’s coastal Pacific waters host two different humpback whale populations from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres every year, say the International Whaling Commission.
They said that during the winter in the Northern Hemisphere, between December and March, the humpbacks that feed on the Northwest coast of the US migrate to Costa Rica’s tropical waters.
There they mate, give birth and nurse their young.
But from July to the middle of November, those that feed in the Antarctic Peninsula and southern Chile make the species’ longest recorded migration to breed in Costa Rica’s warmer waters.
