An obstacle he didn’t anticipate. A man windsurfing in the bay of San Francisco in California, United States, on Tuesday, March 24, violently fell into the water. Contrary to expectations, the athlete did not hit a wave, a rock, or even the Golden Gate Bridge. Footage from the sunbathers present on that sunny day actually shows the windsurfer colliding with a gray whale. One of these captured videos was broadcast by the local television channel KRON4.
Surprised by the mammal “What an incredible day! Be careful and respect the wildlife,” declared the man involved in the accident on his social media. On that day, several gray whales were swimming in the bay. These marine mammals indeed like to swim close to the coasts, especially in that area. Four of their carcasses have already been found in the vicinity since the beginning of 2026.
According to the windsurfer, he was aware that this kind of encounter could happen in the bay of San Francisco. “I had significantly reduced my speed because I had seen a few whales in the area,” he added. However, on his way back, one of these whales took him by surprise by appearing right in front of him. He didn’t have time to react and was thrown several meters.
Stealthy animals More scare than harm. The man, although surprised by the collision, is unharmed and was able to immediately get back on his board. The gray whale, on the other hand, was not disturbed in the least by the impact and simply continued on its way. “We are both safe and sound,” confirmed the windsurfer.
Although the nature of this accident may be surprising, the potential for a collision with a whale is real when they are present. “Gray whales can be difficult to spot in the sea, especially if you are moving quickly,” said Giancarlo Rulli, spokesperson for the Marine Mammal Center, to SFGATE. He recommends windsurfers in the area to slow down as soon as they see a blow, a sign that one of these marine mammals is nearby.
