A ferry passenger was terrified when a waterspout tornado formed at sea off the Philippine coast on Tuesday.

Footage shows locals onboard the vessel watching the twister swirling off Tubigon Port in Bohol province as storm clouds covered the sky on November 7.

Onlooker Gina Pongase said: 'I was in Tubigon Port that time at around 7 in the morning on my way to Cebu City. I just captured it out of curiosity. I was thrilled because it was my first time to witness such an event. Thank God it formed far away from our ship.'

Two types of tornado form at sea - tornadic waterspouts and fair-weather waterspouts. Tornadic waterspouts form from thunderstorms, just like land tornadoes, while fair-weather waterspouts are typically smaller and less powerful without the need for storms.

Both types of waterspout tornadoes are created when there is a strong difference in air pressure between the surface of the water and the air above it. This difference in pressure creates an updraft, which draws air from the surface of the water into the atmosphere. As the air rises, it cools and condenses, forming a cloud. The cloud can then rotate, forming a waterspout.

It is rare for waterspouts to cause severe damage. However, in August 2023 two tourists were killed and six injured when a waterspout tornado hit their boat on an estuary river in Phetchaburi, southern Thailand.