Watch the Jaw-Dropping Moment an Aussie Surfer Gets Bodyslammed by a Whale

By Sam Mangioni - News Published: 27 Oct 2023

A wing foil surfer in Sydney has miraculously escaped serious injury or death after being collected by a breaching humpback whale calf. Jason Breen, 55, was enjoying a morning ride around the Northern Beaches off Mona Vale when the sea creature launched out of the water beside his board. This incredible moment, captured on Jason’s GoPro, has captivated audiences worldwide and is now making waves (pun intended) across social media.

While such encounters might appear commonplace in Australian waters, our marine neighbours have missed the memo: footy season is over, and shoulder charges have been banned for years. Sorry Free Willy, that’s on report and you can cool off for 10 minutes in the Sin Bin.

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The whale’s tail got caught in Breen’s leg rope and dragged him underwater, but he luckily managed to break free and climb back onto his board.

“It came down, landed straight on me and got caught in my leash,” Breen told 9News. “It probably dragged me 20 or 30 feet under, to be honest. I thought it was all over, then I felt my leash break and I thought, ‘Thank god’ and came up to the top.”

Somehow, he paddled away from the incident without any serious injuries. Breen told the publication that the baby whale’s smaller size was what saved his life. “It was a big calf, if it had barnacles I would have been ripped apart because the whale’s body was beside me the whole time,” he said.

Breen’s GoPro wasn’t the only camera to capture the action, with an onlooker getting a different angle for us content addicts. Paul Netteback who was passing by “filming Breen surf by pure coincidence when he witnessed the whale topple him,” according to 9News.

Sam Mangioni

Sam Mangioni is an experienced content producer and the current Entertainment, Culture & Lifestyle Journalist for Man of Many. With an extensive background in digital content production and news, Sam specialises in delivering timely, accurate and witty assessments of current events. Prior to working for Man of Many, Sam spent three years at Southern Cross Austereo where he served as a Content Producer and News Reporter for the flagship Triple M Breakfast Program. The Sydney-based reporter completed a Bachelor of Commerce from Macquarie University Majoring in Marketing in 2014. Sam's work has also featured in Fight News Australia.

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