Two American kayakers, Julie McSorley and Liz Cottriel, paddle quietly on the coast of Avila Beach in California.
Suddenly, the birds start to squeal much louder and a humpback whale appears in front of them.
The surreal sequence is captured by a bather, a little further away.
On the images, it seems that these two riparian areas are swallowed up alive by the cetacean.
The images captured by the two women in action suggest the same drama.
The boat is jostled, a shrill cry is heard and the camera seems to dive into a hellish washing machine.
In reality, Californians have only been jostled by the animal and spend a few seconds underwater, in the greatest confusion.
“The whale was right there, in front of my face, literally,” remembers Liz Cottriel in an interview with CNN, “And then I say to myself that I'm going to push it away,“ I'm going to push this whale out of my way!
".
A really weird idea.
I also tell myself that I am dead, dead!
".
Finally the two kayakers come out unscathed, despite some original disappointments when they got out of the water: "We went back to the car, I shake my T-shirt, and there a string of fish falls from my T-shirt" , laughs Liz Cottriel.
