Guests' incredible whale encounter at lunch goes viral: 'I would scream'

Guests in Hermanus, a coastal town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, were treated to an extraordinary natural spectacle when a whale escaped near their seaside lunch spot.

The incredible moment was captured in a viral TikTok video posted by @annerilouw. The video, released on September 29th, has since garnered over 688,000 views and caught the attention of nature lovers worldwide.

A message superimposed on the video read: “When you sit down to eat lunch and then this happens.”

The clip, filmed around noon local time on September 24, begins with a group of guests sitting at a table overlooking the sea. As they browse their menus, the camera focuses on the sea, just in time to catch a huge whale jumping out of the water. Moments later, another whale escapes in the same area, adding to the surprise.

The accompanying caption read: “Whale breaks out in Hermanus. We just sat down to eat and had the most incredible experience. Moments later, the other whale chilling in the back did the same. They are incredible creatures!”

In a later comment, the poster added: “I've never seen her this close.”

“A whale breaching is one of the most spectacular behaviors observed in nature,” notes the Marine Mammal Center.

The center explains that a breach occurs when a whale launches itself out of the water, whether it is spinning or not, and that a full breach occurs when more than half of the whale's body rises above the surface. These behaviors are often thought to be a form of communication, with the splashes being so loud that they can be heard from miles underwater.

Hermanus is internationally known for whale watching, particularly during the southern right and humpback whale migration season, which runs from June to December. The coastal town even hosts an annual whale festival to celebrate these magnificent creatures.

Whale watching has become a major attraction for visitors to Hermanus, as whales are often spotted from the coast during their migration. The International Whaling Commission has previously highlighted that the region is one of the best places to view these majestic animals due to its reliable whale watching opportunities, particularly along the “whale route” from Cape Town to Mossel Bay.

“Absolutely great”

TikTok users were impressed by the stunning footage of the whale encounter, such as AllahWu huckBath, who said the moment was “absolutely amazing. Mother Nature simply shows her immense beauty.”

Other users shared the excitement, with SKIET exclaiming: “Wow, fantastically beautiful” and @idwa adding: “THIS IS SO COOL!”

Cherryblossoms Sweets & Treats reflected on the encounter and said, “It’s such a blessing to have seen this.”

Newsweek reached out to the original poster via TikTok for comment. This video has not been independently verified.

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