Paddleboarders Get Surprise Visit from Friendly Whale in La Jolla

A group of paddleboarders had a surprise visit from a friendly whale in La Jolla on Super Bowl Sunday, and California resident Scott Yoffe captured video of the encounter.

Yoffe told Storyful he decided to go out paddleboarding after recently leaving his job as an assistant director of public relations for the San Diego Chargers" before the team relocated to Los Angeles. “After pouring my heart and soul into the NFL for 21 seasons, I just couldn’t fathom spending a beautiful day sitting indoors watching the Super Bowl on Sunday afternoon,” said Yoffe. “So I instead went for a surf … at La Jolla Cove.”

The mammal was part of a group of whales swimming close to the paddleboards Sunday evening, said Yoffe. The paddleboarders were preparing to leave after the sun went down but decided to swim closer to the whales for a better view. That is when the mammal approached the paddleboarding group within 20 feet, according to Yoffe, who described the moment as “surreal.” Credit: Scott Yoffe via Storyful