Windsurfer Eric Cremers collides with a surfacing gray whale, knocking him into the water/screengrab

A windsurfer in San Francisco was described as having a “whale of a day” after he collided with a gray whale while out riding, an encounter that was captured in a now-deleted video that has since circulated widely online. The incident took place at Crissy Field, where Eric Kramer He was gliding across the water when the whale suddenly appeared directly in his path. Not having time to react, he hit the animal and was knocked off his board and into the water. Footage of that moment, originally posted by Kramer but later removedShows a tranquil bay scene, with a cargo ship moving rapidly in the background, beachgoers scattered along the shoreline, before windsurfers come speeding into the frame. A few seconds later, the whale breaks the surface, and the impact sends it flying. The animal appears largely unaffected, disappearing beneath the water, while Kramer remains afloat, shaken but seemingly unharmed. In a caption accompanying the clip, cited by the New York Post, Kramer wrote: “It was a ‘whale’ of a day.. Please be careful and respect the wildlife, I slowed down a lot because I had seen a few whales in the area but she came right past me on my last run. Glad we’re both okay.” The footage, recorded on March 24, also shared online shows the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in a different angle. There were immediate reactions to the video, with some viewers questioning his decision to continue windsurfing despite seeing whales nearby. One commenter wrote, “I mean if you saw them there, why did you decide to go sailing anyway,” while another said: “Hmm – what’s the deal with keeping 300 feet away from marine mammals?” Such encounters, though rare, are not unheard of in the Gulf. Gray whales migrate to the California coast each year, and sightings have become more common, though also worrisome. report noting Four have already been found dead in San Francisco Bay this year.