Whale bumps into paddleboarder off Half Moon Bay coast

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KTVU) - Viewers have sent in photos and video of close encounters with whales in Half Moon Bay.

According Melissa Schouest, Assistant Curator at the Aquarium of the Bay, this year with the El Nino and upwelling, all of the whale's food is closer to the shore, which means there have been more sightings along the Bay Area coast.

Incredible video shows Viviana Guzman paddleboarding off the coast of Half Moon Bay when a whale came up right next to her, and bumped her paddleboard.

Guzman says the encounter happened at Miramar Beach on July 12th. She is a flutist and was playing the flute while on a paddleboard, when the young humpback whale bumped into her. Guzman says she was very surprised by the whale and was also surprised she managed to stay on her paddleboard. 

In an interview on KTVU Schouest reminded viewers to watch wildlife responsibility, by trying to stay about 100 yards away. "They Bay is their home, they live there and we need to respect it," she said.