Breaching whale’s ‘shock wave’ generates chaos for kayakers

On Sunday, KINY shared an image showing kayakers in Hoonah experiencing a “close encounter of the whale kind!”

Last week we shared footage showing five humpback whales breaching almost simultaneously near Hoonah, Alaska. It was a surreal and unexpected scene enjoyed by a family during a picnic.

On Sunday, KINY shared the accompanying image showing kayakers in Hoonah experiencing an extremely “close encounter of the whale kind!”

The Facebook description reads, in part: “According to Hoonah Fire Chief Paul Comolli, the shock wave from the whale’s breach rocked three kayaks and flipped one completely over!”

Comolli captured the image at Point Frederick.

The KINY post was widely shared and some were critical of the kayakers for approaching too closely and placing themselves and the whale in danger.

Humpback whales are known for their spectacular breaches and should always be given a wide berth.

Watch: Humpback whales crash family picnic in ‘unreal’ fashion

A family from Hoonah, Alaska, drove to False Bay recently for a picnic, unaware that acrobatic whales would provide thrilling entertainment.

A family from Hoonah, Alaska, drove to False Bay recently for a picnic, unaware that acrobatic whales would be providing the entertainment.

The accompanying footage, captured July 31 by Jessie Wright, shows five humpback whales breaching almost simultaneously as Wright’s mom exclaims, “Oh my God!” (There’s also a moment with saltier language.)

Wright was with her mother, two children (Deborah and Hayden) and their cousin throughout a spectacle that Wright described as “unreal.”

“The whales were even talking to each other,” she told FTW Outdoors. “It was an experience of a lifetime and at the ages of 15 and 13, my kids got to enjoy an experience that many [other kids] haven’t.”

RELATED: Humpback whale picks up unintended passenger; photos

Hoonah is on Chichagof Island on Alaska’s panhandle, 30 miles west of Juneau, surrounded by the Tongass National Forest.

Wright said of the breaching whales: “There were two more that jumped before I got what was on the video. But there were a ton of whales out there, and they would randomly jump for like 40 minutes after that video.”