Kiteboarder narrowly avoids injury after smashing into a HUMPBACK WHALE while dashing across the the Californian coastline

  • Andrei Grigoriev was kiteboarding near Crissy Field Beach in California recently
  • He was filming his spin across the bay when he struck a large under water object
  • Grigoriev was stunned when he saw the object was a large humback whale 
  • He said hitting the whale was completely accidental and absolutely 'crazy'  

By Darren Boyle for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

This is the amazing moment a kiteboarder runs into a humpback whale while speeding along the Californian coast. 

Andrei Grigoriev as visiting Crissy Field Beach in California when he ran into the giant whale.

Grigoriev fitted a GoPro-style camera to the canopy of his kiteboarder which captured the amazing close encounter. 

Kiteboarder Andrei Grigoriev, pictured is posing for the camera oblivious to the danger approaching him from the ocean's depths in Crissy Field Beach in California 

Kiteboarder Andrei Grigoriev, pictured is posing for the camera oblivious to the danger approaching him from the ocean's depths in Crissy Field Beach in California 

Grigoriev, pictured, looks stunned as the giant whale strikes his board from underneath 

Grigoriev, pictured, looks stunned as the giant whale strikes his board from underneath 

Grigoriev turns his head to see what exactly he struck while kitesurfing near the beach 

Grigoriev turns his head to see what exactly he struck while kitesurfing near the beach 

Initially Grigoriev looks baffled after striking the whale underneath him. 

Grigoriev said this was the first time he had ever seen a whale and had no intention of harming the animal. 

The 36-year-old Bay Area resident said: 'I was going straight out from the beach when something touched my board from below.

'For another 15 second I had a feeling there was something around me, until the whale jumped out of the water right in front of me.

'The scene was completely accidental.' 

He added: 'I thought this was unbelievable and crazy to get into. I do have tendency to get into these type of situations.'

Grigoriev poses for the camera after his dramatic collision with the massive mammal 

Grigoriev poses for the camera after his dramatic collision with the massive mammal 

California

Most watched News videos

Comments 13

Share what you think

  View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

  View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.