Surfer almost gobbled up by whales

Surfer almost gobbled up by whales

A surfer was nearly gobbled up by a pair of giant whales as they crash out of the sea just feet from her.

Dramatic footage shows the woman sitting on her board paddling and chatting to two kayakers when the humpbacks suddenly lunge out of the water with their jaws open.

The close call was filmed by Barbara Roettger off the coast of Santa Cruz, California.

In recent days authorities and coast guards have warned sightseers to steer clear of the marine giants, which are up to 40ft long and have been coming close to shore to feed on shoals of anchovies.

They eat by scooping fish into their enormous mouths from the surface of the water, and some over-enthusiastic whale-watchers have been injured while trying to get a better look.

Roettger herself said from now on she would only film "from the decidedly safer dry land".

- www.thesun.co.uk

To watch video, click http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/video/news/3914523/Whale-nearly-eats-surfer.html