Diners’ Unbelievable Whale Encounter at Lunch Goes Viral: ‘I Would Scream’

Diners in Hermanus, a coastal town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, were treated to an extraordinary display of nature when a whale breached near their seaside lunch spot.
The incredible moment was captured in a viral TikTok video posted by @annerilouw. The video, shared on September 29, has since garnered over 688,000 views, capturing the attention of nature lovers worldwide.
A message overlaid on the video read: “When you sit down for lunch and then this happens.”
The clip, filmed on September 24 around noon local time, begins with a group of diners sitting at a table overlooking the ocean. As they browse their menus, the camera shifts to the sea, just in time to catch a massive whale jumping out of the water. Moments later, another whale breaches in the same area, adding to the surprise.
The accompanying caption read: “Whale breaching in Hermanus. We just sat down for a meal and had the most incredible experience. Moments later, the other whale chilling in the back did the same thing. They are incredible creatures!”
In a later comment, the poster added: “I’ve never seen them this close.”
“A whale breaching is among the most spectacular behaviors you can see in nature,” notes The Marine Mammal Center.
The center explains that a breach occurs when a whale launches itself out of the water, either spinning or not, with a full breach achieved when over half of the whale’s body ascends above the surface. These behaviors are often believed to serve as a form of communication, with splashes loud enough to be heard for miles underwater.
Hermanus is internationally renowned for whale watching, particularly during the southern right and humpback whale migration season, which runs from June to December. The coastal town even hosts an annual whale festival in celebration of these magnificent creatures.
Whale watching has become a major draw for visitors to Hermanus, where sightings from the shore are common thanks to the whales’ proximity to the coastline during migration. The International Whaling Commission previously highlighted that the region’s reliable whale-watching opportunities, especially along the “whale route” from Cape Town to Mossel Bay, make it one of the best locations for spotting these majestic animals.
TikTok users were awed by the stunning footage of the whale encounter, such as AllahWu huckBath who said the moment was “absolutely magnificent. Mother Nature just flexing her immense beauty.”
Other users shared in the excitement, with SKIET exclaiming: “Wow fantastic beautiful” and @idwa adding: “THIS IS SO COOL!”
Cherryblossoms Sweets & Treats reflected on the encounter, saying: “So blessed to have seen this.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
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