Incredible moment canoeists find themselves feet from breaching whale in Antarctica

A photographer from California has captured a once-in-a-lifetime shot of two canoeists who found themselves feet from a breaching whale during a trip to Antarctica. 

The photograph shows the humongous tail of the creature arching out above the sea in ultra high definition as birds circle in front of the frozen blue caps.

Another picture shows the sharp contours of the whale’s head as it surfaces from the icy waters. 

The images were taken multi-award-winning photographer Jiahong Zeng, who lives in San Francisco and is from Guangzhou in China. 

Zeng said: ‘It was probably a once-in-a-lifetime moment. It was amazing to witness. 

The photographer, from California, said: ‘It was probably a once-in-a-lifetime moment. It was amazing to witness. I love that the tail of the whale appears to form a frame through which I could see the canoeists through’

‘I love that the tail of the whale appears to form a frame through which I could see the canoeists through.’ 

The married photographer, who works for Hitachi, Ltd., has snapped wildlife and supernatural landscapes from across the globe, with his love for architecture also shining through his work.

The months of November through to March present the perfect conditions for wildlife watching in Antarctica, when some of the sea ice melts and temperatures can hover above the freezing mark. 

There are a number of different whale species that live in Antartica, including killer whales, sperm whales, humpback whales and Antarctic blue whales. 

The Antarctic blue whale is the largest animal on the planet, weighing up to 200 tons (approximately 33 elephants) and reaching up to 30 meters in length. 

They are the loudest animals on Earth, with their calls reaching a higher number of decibels than a jet engine, according to the World Wildlife Fund.