‘It just popped up’: Chilling video shows the moment a windsurfer collides with a gray whale
A San Francisco video shows a windsurfer getting knocked off the board after a sudden encounter with a whale, sparking concerns about marine wildlife safety.
A windsurfer’s casual expedition turned harrowing after a gray whale suddenly appeared beneath the ocean and collided with him in San Francisco Bay. The incident was documented by an onlooker and has taken over the Internet.
The viral video captures the moment the surfer gets knocked off his board as the whale emerges from the water, sending him plunging into the bay. The surfer, identified as Eric Kramer, had been sailing in the area when the encounter occurred, The Guardian reported.
Sharing what happened, he wrote on social media, “It was a ‘whale’ of a day. Please be cautious and respect wildlife, I had reduced my speed greatly bc I had seen a couple whales in the area but on my last run back it just popped up right in front of me. Glad we are both OK.”
The Associated Press (AP) shared the video of the incident on Instagram.
Watch here:
The video quickly gained traction, amassing several reactions. “Imagine hanging out in your house and a wind surfer comes crashing in,” a user wrote. “Both are enjoying the ocean in a non-destructive way. As fair as I know, wind sails have zero negative effect on the environment. But the whale definitely took the brunt of the impact, the guy just got flung into the water, so I am more concerned about the whale. But I’m also not gonna hate on the guy. If it was a motorboat or an oil tanker, that would be a different issue!” another user commented.
“Rough way for the day to start. We gotta improve,” a third user reacted.
The population of gray whales has seen a steep decline in recent years, dropping from around 27,000 in 2016 to fewer than 13,000 by 2025—the lowest numbers recorded since the early 1970s, NBC Bay Area reported.
A windsurfer’s casual expedition turned harrowing after a gray whale suddenly appeared beneath the ocean and collided with him in San Francisco Bay. The incident was documented by an onlooker and has taken over the Internet.
The viral video captures the moment the surfer gets knocked off his board as the whale emerges from the water, sending him plunging into the bay. The surfer, identified as Eric Kramer, had been sailing in the area when the encounter occurred, The Guardian reported.
Sharing what happened, he wrote on social media, “It was a ‘whale’ of a day. Please be cautious and respect wildlife, I had reduced my speed greatly bc I had seen a couple whales in the area but on my last run back it just popped up right in front of me. Glad we are both OK.”
The Associated Press (AP) shared the video of the incident on Instagram.
Watch here:
The video quickly gained traction, amassing several reactions. “Imagine hanging out in your house and a wind surfer comes crashing in,” a user wrote. “Both are enjoying the ocean in a non-destructive way. As fair as I know, wind sails have zero negative effect on the environment. But the whale definitely took the brunt of the impact, the guy just got flung into the water, so I am more concerned about the whale. But I’m also not gonna hate on the guy. If it was a motorboat or an oil tanker, that would be a different issue!” another user commented.
“Rough way for the day to start. We gotta improve,” a third user reacted.
The population of gray whales has seen a steep decline in recent years, dropping from around 27,000 in 2016 to fewer than 13,000 by 2025—the lowest numbers recorded since the early 1970s, NBC Bay Area reported.
