Raw video: Humpback soaks whale watchers
Whale watchers experience close encounter with humpback near Pleasant Island, Alaska.
Call it a close encounter of the dorsal fin-kind.
A group of whale watchers in Alaska had a brush with a massive humpback whale on Monday while near Pleasant Island, not far from Juneau.
Tristan Krause told Storyful he was enjoying a whale-watching tour when he and his fellow passengers experienced a close encounter with a humpback whale.
Without any warning, the large creature jumped out of the water before crashing down near the boat, soaking everyone on board.
No injuries were reported, according to KTUU.
FISHERMAN FILMS WHALE BREACHING RIGHT NEXT TO BOAT: IT 'SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME'
Humpback whales can weigh up to 40 tons and are about the size of a school bus, according to National Geographic.
Besides being known for their whale songs, they are also powerful swimmers that use their massive tail fin, known as a fluke, to propel themselves through the water.
"These whales, like others, regularly leap from the water, landing with a tremendous splash," National Geographic notes. "Scientists aren't sure if this breaching behavior serves some purpose, such as cleaning pests from the whale's skin, or whether whales simply do it for fun."
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