Southern right whale breaches inches away from paddleboarder

BEGA, Australia, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- A paddleboarder in Australia received a shock when a massive southern right whale breached inches from the front of his board.

The video, captured Aug. 7, shows the paddleboarder encounter the whale as it surfaces directly in front of him off the coast of Bega Valley.

''The first I knew I was catching something out the corner of my eye as it breached within 2 inches of the paddleboard," the paddlebparder wrote.

''The wave its bulk created breaking the surface of the water actually pushed the board up and back," he wrote. ''At the beginning it was pretty frightening, then I quickly realized it was passing me by for a look and the next several seconds were pure elation."