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Paddleboarder dwarfed by whales in new drone-captured video

A man standing on a thin piece of fiberglass gets a visit from two very large mammals off the coast of Australia.

Michael Franco
Freelancer Michael Franco writes about the serious and silly sides of science and technology for CNET and other pixel and paper pubs. He's kept his fingers on the keyboard while owning a B&B in Amish country, managing an eco-resort in the Caribbean, sweating in Singapore, and rehydrating (with beer, of course) in Prague. E-mail Michael.
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Michael Franco
2 min read

When it comes to the battle between land-based animals and drones, the animals often win. Chimps deliver smackdowns with sticks. Eagles use their talons to blast drones out of the sky. And kangaroos use the old one-two to ground the pesky unmanned aerial vehicles.

But the animals that live in the sea either don't mind being buzzed by drones or -- more likely -- really can't do much about it. About a week ago, a drone caught this amazing footage of a group of sharks prowling the waters off the coast of Florida. And earlier this summer, scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute reported that they had used drones to fly through the spouts of whales to sample their breath.

Now, an Australian man has added to the video collection that teams drones with oceanic life.

Jaimen Hudson, a resident of the town of Esperance on Australia's southwestern coast, heard that there were whales spotted in nearby waters. He quickly headed to the parking lot near the sea and launched his camera-equipped drone out over the ocean. The result is the completely captivating footage, posted Thursday, that you see above.

What makes the short clip even more mesmerizing is that fellow local Dave Price was out paddleboarding when the whales came close. The contrast between the diminutive-looking Price and the whales really gives you an idea of the grandeur of the creatures. The background soundtrack of Jack Johnson's version of John Lennon's "Imagine" makes the scene that much sweeter.

"There was one time when the whales lifted their heads up looked up over Pricey's board, they were so inquisitive and wanted to know what he was," Jaimen told his local affiliate of Australian news outlet ABC. "I don't think it was dangerous; the whales moved to where he was and the whole time they were very slow moving and peaceful."

You do have to wonder, though, just how peaceful Price felt with the behemoths swimming beneath him with nothing separating him from them but a thin piece of fiberglass.

We've asked a marine biologist for input as to the type of whales featured in the video and will update this post when we hear back. For now, we welcome your guesses in the comments below.