Whale breaches beside hydrofoil surfer off Hawaii coast, shocking video captured
Eric Sterman’s downwind foil run off Oahu turned into a rare whale encounter when a humpback breached beside him, with Hawaii’s distance rules offering the real takeaway.
A whale erupted beside Eric Sterman’s hydrofoil board off Oahu’s North Shore, turning a routine downwind run into a jaw-dropping reminder of how fast awe can become a safety issue in Hawaiian waters.
Sterman was filming from Turtle Bay to Keiki Beach during the Easter weekend period in early April 2026 when the humpback surfaced right next to him. In the footage, he shouted, “Are you kidding me?” and then, “That’s crazy!” after the whale’s tail threw out of the water. Sterman said he noticed the whale’s shadow about halfway through the journey, and later described the encounter as something that is “super common” for him to pass while hydrofoiling, even if it is rare to catch it so cleanly on camera.
The video has struck a chord because it lands in the middle of Hawaii’s humpback season, when up to 12,000 koholā come to Hawaiian waters each year to breed, calve and nurse their young. NOAA says humpbacks generally visit from November through April, with peak activity often in winter and early spring, and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary has protected those main Hawaiian Islands breeding and nursing grounds since 1992.
The practical rule for riders is clear: give whales room. Federal regulations in Hawaiʻi prohibit approaching within 100 yards of a humpback whale by any means, and NOAA and Hawaii guidance also recommend staying at least 400 yards away when possible. That guidance applies across the watercraft world, including paddleboards, kayaks, efoils and canoes, because the risk is not just to the animal. A foil line, a breach, or a sudden change in direction can put both rider and whale in danger.
For foil surfers, the moment should read as more than a viral clip. It is a vivid snapshot of why marine life etiquette matters on every downwind run, especially off Oahu where humpbacks, paddlers and foilers share the same lanes. Sterman’s encounter was spectacular, but Hawaii’s rules make the boundary just as memorable as the breach: enjoy the sight, keep your distance and let the ocean’s biggest visitors pass unbothered.
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