Enormous whale nearly hits boatful of tourists

A BOAT full of Sydney tourists were given a shock when a huge humpback whale breached just metres from their boat.

THIS is the jaw-dropping moment a boat full of stunned tourists got the shock of their lives when a mammoth humpback whale leapt into the air right in front of them.

Passionate whale watcher John Goodridge, 54, witnessed the breathtaking display from a cruise boat sailing out of Sydney Heads last week.

UK expat John, who moved from Yorkshire to Australia 24 years ago, said it was one of the most spectacular breaches he had ever seen due to the close proximity of the gigantic marine mammal to the people in the boat.

John said the humpback whale leapt into the air less than 50m away from the small boat — and admitted the photograph made it appear as if the whale is about to ‘crush’ the shocked people in the image.

The tourists certainly got their money’s worth on this trip. Picture: Simon Millar/Go Whale Watching/Caters News

He said: “It all happened so quickly. We’d been waiting to see a whale all morning, and all of a sudden this one jumps up in front of everyone.

“The people in the boat were just so excited. You can see it on their faces. It’s a mix of excitement, shock and fear.

“I adore whales and go out whale watching whenever I can. They’re just incredible creatures.

“There is nothing like seeing them up close, and we’re so lucky to be able to experience something like that.

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“It’s just a beautiful and unforgettable experience.”

The cruise was operated by skipper Simon Millar on his small family business ‘Go Whale Watching’ that has operated out of Sydney’s Darling Harbour for over 10 years.

It’s not the first time Mr Goodridge has captured an incredible image of whales in Sydney.

Last year he witnessed a whale breaching just off Bondi, to the delight of people sitting on the beach. The video he captured of this is above.

Whales are a common sight along Australia’s east coast between April and November, as pods of humpback whales make the 10,000km journey from Antarctica to mate and give birth.