A humpback whale launched itself into the air and nearly crushed some kayakers like it was Moby Dick

A new video has surfaced that shows some kayakers paddling among a pod of humpback whales when one of the animals emerges from the water and into the air, landing right on top of them.

Santuary Cruises/YouTube

The video was captured by Larry Plants, a passenger on an early-morning whale-watching tour led by Sanctuary Cruises just outside Moss Landing harbor in Monterey Bay, California.

The cruise stopped to watch a large group of humpbacks feeding and playing around, and some kayakers were in the midst of them. The whales were coming up right next to the kayakers, when suddenly, one of the whales breached right on top of two kayakers (luckily, they survived, apparently unscathed).

The video caption reads, "It's all fun and games until someone gets jumped on. The next thing we knew, this thing launched right on top of these two kayakers. That was heavy."

Humpback whales come to the California coast to feed. They are typically about 40 to 50 feet long and weigh nearly 40 tons, or as much as several school buses.

Scientists aren't sure why whales breach, or lunge, out of the water. Some theories suggest they may be trying to shake off parasites, communicate with each other, or have a look around. Or, they could just be doing it for fun.

It probably wasn't that much fun for those kayakers, though.

Watch the full video: