British tourist captures amazing pictures of paddle boarder 'surfing on whale'
These incredible pictures show the moment a man appeared to be surfing on an enormous whale.
The surfer, who has been identified as paddle boarder Mark Jackson, was floating just off shore near Kailua-Kona, in Hawaii, when the colossal creature emerged from the water merely metres behind him.
Totally unaware of the creature looming in tow, the paddle boarder continued to leisurely circle around the bay, before the whale began to close in and suddenly surfaced alongside him.
Meanwhile, 400 yards back on shore, eye-witness David Warren, 65, watched the bizarre incident unfold from his balcony while he was tucking into his breakfast.
Shocked by what he saw, David, from North Berwick, Scotland, managed to capture the bizarre encounter on camera, having spotted the whale breach behind the paddle border moments earlier.
David, who was on holiday in Hawaii with his wife Sue, also 65, said he tracked down the mystery surfer, now known to be Mark Jackson, after the incident occurred.
According to Mark, he didn't spot the giant mammal, which also had its calf in tow, until it breached at the very last moment.
David said: "At first glance, it looked as if the boarder was surfing on the whale.
"The photos were taken from the balcony of our accommodation in Kona, Hawaii, as we had breakfast – my wife and I are on holiday.
"I saw the boarder paddling round the bay in calm bright weather where we had earlier seen whales breaching.
"I then saw a whale swim past the boarder, who did not seem fazed at all, a cool dude obviously, and he then paddled back to shore.
"I tracked down the paddle boarder after he arrived back on shore, his name is Mark Jackson. He said the whale got very close but even he was amazed at the picture.
"He says there were two humpback whales, probably a mother and juvenile. However, only one breached near him.
"It was an amazing spectacle to witness."
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