This is the spectacular moment a triple waterspout was seen off the coast of the Philippines yesterday morning (July 13).

Onlookers watched the long elephant trunk shaped funnel clouds form in Mogpog in Marinduque province.

They stretched from a large dark cloud into the water below before dissipating after several minutes.

Resident Jomar Ribleza said he was driving to visit a friend when he noticed the tornados on the horizon and pulled over to watch.

He said: ''This was my first to see those kind of tornadoes with my two naked eyes. It was amazing but scary at the same time. Nature is incredible.''

Waterspouts are intense columns of swirling tornado clouds that form over a body of water. They are most commonly found in subtropical areas and disappear shortly after they come into contact with land.

Scientists believe they are formedwhen warm sea waterladen with moisture rapidly evaporates and cools slower than the surrounding dry air. This leads to instability in the air and updrafts.

Shifting winds near the water's surface then mix with the rising clouds to forma swirling vortex, giving rise to the narrow tornado-like shape cloud.