A kayaker, who got a little too close to a whale and its calf has filmed the incredible moment he’s knocked into the water.

Jaco Tredoux captured the stunning encounter in September off the east coast of South Africa, north of Durban.

In the video, Tredoux puts his Go-Pro underwater to get a shot of the whales that are swimming just beneath him, before one whale breaks the surface of the water right next to the kayak.

Moments later, another whale puts its head out of the water and nudges Tredoux with enough force to capsize his kayak.

“As they were just behind backline I followed them for a little while keeping my distance.

“To my surprise the smaller whale came closer towards me and said hello,” the paddler told South African news outlet North Coast Courier.

YouTube users have since identified the curious animal’s species as a southern white whale, which are not an uncommon sight of the southern coast of Africa between July and October.