A group of children got the "fright of their lives" in a moment they will never forget coming face to face with a minke whale.
The enormous whale emerged from the water and snapped its mouth shut just a few feet from their small fishing boat off the coast of Castletownbere in Cork, Ireland.
Thrilling footage shows the beast's shocking breach as it emerged from the water as yelps can be heard from the passengers onboard.
The sea creatures typically weigh just over six tons and tend to measure about twice the size of the fishing boat.
Local David Minihane took the video from onboard the boat alongside his three children and his friend's daughter.
He told CorkBeo the group regularly go out on the boat and are used to the ocean creatures but that this incident was truly one to remember.
The cameraman appeared shaken as the whale splashed the water all over the group before they gathered their belongings and began to chuckle.
He said: "We'd regularly see dolphins. They're always up by the boat within touching distance.
"We see the whales about six or seven miles out but we've never been that close. They usually stay away."
Minke whales are more likely to be spotted at close quarters than other baleen whales because they often approach boats and are notoriously inquisitive.
The marine mammals are black, brown or dark grey in colour and lighter on their belly and part of their flippers.
Minke whales are typically found in the North Atlantic Ocean, migrating southwards in winter and northwards towards Norway, Greenland and Iceland in the summer months.
