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Clip: Humpback Whale Photobombs Surfer Koa Smith as He Boosts a Huge Air

Originally posted on SURFER  |  By Jade Eckardt  |  Last updated Mar 7, 2024 2:00 PM ET

As surfers, we get our kicks by regularly lurking around sea creatures we usually don't see. But now and then, the universe aligns and surfers have really cool encounters with marine life. Lately, it's whales who've been making themselves known. 

There's the gray whale that almost whipped a surfer with its tail (accidentally) in San Diego. An 11-year-old charged Waimea Bay with whales breaching in the background, and surfers got a Christmas surprise from a whale in California. Let's not forget about the weirdest whale and surfer meet-and-greet, when an Aussie foil surfer got body-slammed by a humpback whale.

The latest surfer to share a session with a whale is Kauai's Koa Smith in the clip below, and luckily, there was no body-slamming involved. 

The footage above comes from Smith and surf photographer Jack Germain. 

Smith captioned the clip:

"What are the chances of a Whale breaching at the same friggin time as me!? #ABUNDANCE #RESONANCE BY @germainfilms"

The clip shows Smith surfing, presumably on the North Shore, where it's prime humpback whale sighting season. 

Smith launches off the lip and into the air at the same time a whale breaches behind him. 

He can check synchronized surfing with a whale off of his bucket list. 

We're not sure what's more impressive, the whale's perfectly timed photobomb, or the air itself. 

Needless to say, viewers were impressed. 

Tom Carroll: "❤️"

Isaiah Briley: "crazy clip"

Aipa Surf: ""

Kamalei Alexander: ""

Ha'a Aikau: "Guess u know what to call that air now haha"

We're waiting, Ha'a. What are we calling it?

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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