An obstacle he hadn’t anticipated. A man windsurfing in the San Francisco Bay in California, USA, 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. Indeed, images from the sunlit day show that the windsurfer collided 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 wildlife,” declared the man on his social networks after the accident. On that day, several gray whales were swimming in the bay. These marine mammals like to swim near the coast, especially in that area. Four of their carcasses have already been found in the vicinity since the beginning of 2026.
The windsurfer had experienced knowledge that such encounters could happen in the San Francisco Bay. “I had significantly reduced my speed because I had seen some whales in the area,” he added. However, on the way back, one of these whales suddenly appeared in front of him, catching him off guard. He did not 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 get back on his board immediately. The gray whale, on the other hand, was not disturbed at all by the impact and just 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 at sea, especially if you are moving quickly,” said Giancarlo Rulli, a spokesperson for the Marine Mammal Center, to SFGATE. He recommends that windsurfers in the area slow down as soon as they see a blow, a sign that one of these mammals is nearby.
