A windsurfer was launched off his board after slamming into a gray whale that surfaced directly in his path in California, according to video online.
The footage was recorded March 24 at Crissy Field Beach in San Francisco Bay, the viewer who provided it said, KRON4 reported. The video shows the rider cutting across the water before a whale breaches just feet ahead of him. The resulting collision launches him into the bay before he bobs up moments later, seemingly unhurt, while the whale slips back beneath the surface.
The rider was identified as Erik Krammer, the Technical Director for Olympic Surfing, according to Unofficial Networks. Krammer said he had already dialed back his speed after noticing whales nearby in a social media post, the New York Post reported. “I had reduced my speed greatly bc I had seen a couple whales in the area but on my last run back it just popped up right in front of me. Glad we are both ok,” he reportedly wrote. (RELATED: ‘Deadliest Catch’ Star Dies Tragically At Sea)
The collision drew concern. “It’s certainly concerning to see a collision like this, both from a human health standpoint, in terms of we’re very happy that this gentleman was okay, but as well for whale health in the Bay at large,” Giancarlo Rulli of the Marine Mammal Center told ABC7 San Francisco. Federal law requires people to remain at least 100 yards from whales. Six gray whales are in San Francisco Bay as of publication, according to the outlet.
UNUSUAL ENCOUNTER ⛵️🐋: A windsurfer encountered a bit of a speed bump while cruising the waters of San Francisco Bay. Luckily, both the windsurfer and whale got out uninjured.#Sanfrancisco #Whales #Surfing #FOXWeather pic.twitter.com/IIZV09Xeyw
— FOX Weather (@foxweather) April 1, 2026
Four gray whales have turned up dead in the bay this year, KRON4 reported, citing the Marine Mammal Center. The first, a 42-foot adult female pulled from the water near the Golden Gate Bridge on March 17, reportedly bore signs that a ship had struck it.
The Marine Mammal Center has since rolled out a “Whale Smart” training initiative for commercial vessel operators alongside the San Francisco Harbor Safety Committee, Unofficial Networks reported. Rulli urged caution for anyone on the water, according to ABC7. “We say, if you see a spout or see a blow, go slow,” he said.
Such collisions can turn deadly. South African kitesurfer Graham Howes, 38, was killed Sept. 7, 2025, after a whale struck him with force over one ton, according to IOL.