Video: Whale Blindsides Canoe off Maui Beach
OutdoorHub Reporters 02.06.13
An adolescent humpback whale decided to give some Arizona canoe paddlers a love tap. According to the Mirror, Laurent Lebihan and a few friends were enjoying some time in water off the coast of Maui when the whale collided with the canoe.
“This whale blindsided us,” said Lebihan. “We had never seen him surface or anything. We were literally looking around trying to find some whales to film. While we were taking a break, and looking at our surroundings, this happened.”
It’s a good thing then that Lebihan had been filming throughout the entire incident. The waters around Hawaii have been known to hold up to 10,000 humpbacks during their mating season, and they remain a popular destination for whale watchers.
“They are definitely amazing animals for the split second we saw that one up close,” Lebihan comments. While the paddlers were suitably surprised by the encounter, they remain in good spirits. Nobody was injured by the whale’s inquisitive nudge.
Below is the video taken by Lebihan:
httpv://youtu.be/rYQrI7X4mPk
