An ordinary weekend paddle boarding session became unforgettable for a group of onlookers at Oceanside Pier in California when a curious whale playing nearby and decided to check out the action.

In this video, the whale can be seen breaching very close to the paddle boarder, who miraculously manages to maintain his standing position during the mammoth animal’s display.

Aysean Beauchamp, who took the video, said: “Afterwards, the whale swam feet from us at the end of the pier and continued making its way towards Mexico’s waters. The paddle board tried following him … but the whale was pretty fast.” Credit: Facebook/Aysean Beauchamp