LOCAL surfer and photographer Andrew Matthews on Tuesday morning was in the waves off Kianga Beach with his camera in its underwater housing when he noticed two southern right whales just beyond the breakers.
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“I could see the two whales just lying there and doing little spy hops,” Andrew said.
“I was sure they were looking at me and saying ‘What are you doing; what are you doing?”
So he went and grabbed his surf board and paddled out a little closer.
The two whales immediately came over to check him out and all three swam together in a relaxed fashion for around 25 minutes while Andrew filmed.
“I was freaking out but they calmed me down and were just sedately swimming around me.”
He currently works at Club Narooma but has had experience with whales when he worked with Narooma Charters many years ago.
He has had more recent encounters including with a whale hanging in the surf just beyond the Narooma breakwater last week.
Whale season has its peak off the Far South Coast with local boats encountering large groups offshore.