Julie McSorley and Liz Cottriel were nearly swallowed by a humpback whale while they were out kayaking on Monday in Avila Beach, Calif.
The pair were watching the whales below the surface when a humpback whale suddenly emerged and appeared to swallow the whole kayak.
Their close call was captured on shocking video:
Lucky to be alive: an Avila Beach woman says she is okay after a whale capsized her kayak (shown here). Hear from her and tips for staying safe out on the water tonight at 10&11. (Video: Kellie Balentine) @KSBY pic.twitter.com/WOy4itCzhW
— Melissa Newman (@melnewmantv) November 3, 2020
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“I still have an adrenaline rush!” McSorley told Fox 26 News.
McSorley sent the video to her Facebook page and also wrote that she thought she and Cottriel were a safe distance from the whales. Then, all of a sudden, “a large bait ball came up around us followed by two whales which lifted us out of the water and tipped us over."
“The whale was in my face, literally,” said Cottriel, who recounted having the instinct to “push the whale out of the way.”
“It was the weirdest thought,” she told Fox 26. “I’m thinking, ‘I’m dead. I’m dead.’ I thought it was gonna land on me. Next thing I know, I’m underwater.”