Surfers off Petrel Cove on Fleurieu Peninsula have close encounter with southern right whale

TWO brave — and lucky — surfers had a close encounter with a southern right whale in waters of Petrel Cove on Sunday when the giant of the deep decided to ride the same wave as them.

A southern right whale shows two nearby surfers a thing or two at Petrel Cove on Sunday. Picture: Jenni Wyrsta

ITS surfing etiquette not to drop in on a wave, but just try telling that to a gentle giant of the sea.

Two surfers got a massive thrill in waters off Petrel Cove on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, when a southern right whale joined them on a breaking swell on Sunday.

Registered whale spotter, Jenni Wyrsta, who snapped the close encounter, said other spotters had been on the headland known as The Bluff watching the whale.

The surfers at Petrel Cove watch the whale. Picture: Jenni Wyrsta

The southern right whale Petrel Cove. Picture: Jenni Wyrsta

“We’d been watching and watching him, so I went to the Petrel Cove side of The Bluff to see if he went around and that’s when I saw the surfers and thought they were very brave,” she said

“Then, sure enough, the whale came around the corner and I thought: ‘You beauty!’ she said.

“He was at least 150m from the surfers, just coming around, slowly cruising, and suddenly, he turned and came in on a wave towards these surfers, and almost swam straight into them.”

Ms Wyrsta said after a few minutes of the southern right bobbing on the waves, the giant of the ocean simply swam away.

The whale-lover said the Fleurieu Peninsula was enjoying a good whale season, with sightings up from a “very quiet” last year.