A family fishing off the Gold Coast caught sight of much more than they were expecting when a whale launched itself from the water and splashed back down beside them.
The 20-tonne mammal and another whale had been following the family's 7m bowrider as they motored 5km off Main Beach on Sunday.
But they never expected such a close encounter.
The family said the freefalling humpback landed just out of arm's reach.
It created a 3m-high wave and knocked those on board the boat off their feet.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/08/21/17/21/freefalling-whale-lands-next-to-gold-coast-boat
Experts say with more and more whales passing along our coast every year, many of them happy to seek human interaction, the chances of a mishap are increasing.
