TORONTO -- A massive humpback whale appeared to nearly swallow a pair of kayakers on California's Central Coast when it launched out of the ocean and caught part of the boat in its mouth.
Julie McSorley and her friend Liz Cottriel were whale watching in Avila Beach, California, on Monday afternoon when fellow watchers captured the incident on video.
Video footage shows the pair sitting in the kayak watching the whales below the surface when one of the mammals breaches the water, scooping up the boat and the two friends.
McSorley and Cottriel were lifted into the air in the jaws of the whale before tumbling into the sea.
The two women can be heard screaming as concerned paddleboarders and kayakers quickly rush over to help them. Applause can be heard when the pair resurface a few seconds later unharmed.
Cottriel told Fox 26 News that in the moment, she thought she was going to die.
"I thought it was going land on me. Next thing I know, I'm under water," Cottriel said.
"The whale was right here in my face, literally," she added, motioning beside her head.
McSorley said it seemed safe to paddle in the area, but started to get concerned when she noticed other fish swimming very close to the surface.
The next thing McSorley knew, she was lifted up and tossed into the water.
"I can still feel the adrenaline rush," McSorley said.
The pair managed to retrieve the kayak after the incident and ride it back to shore.
"We got back to the car, I was shaking my shirt and a bunch of fish came out of my shirt," Cottriel laughed.
Despite not being harmed, both women say they will likely stay further back when whale watching in the future.
