This is the spectacular moment a whale leapt from the water in front of a boat carrying tourists in California.

The humpback whale shocked the onlookers when it burst out of the sea off the coast of Newport Beach on November 10.

Dramatic footage shows the giant cetacean surfacing just feet away from a group of friends posing for a photo onboard the Ocean Explorer boat.

It spun briefly through the air before crashing back into the ocean, spraying water onto the vessel and stunning everyone on board the vessel, operated by Davey's Locker Whale Watching.

The manager said: 'Since November 5, several humpback whales have been feeding daily just off the coast. These whales are part of the North Pacific population that spends summers feeding off Central and Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska.

'As fall arrives, they begin their long migration toward the warm breeding grounds off Mexico and Central America. This year, large schools of anchovies near shore have likely drawn them closer, creating a rare feeding spectacle.'

The unusually frequent whale sightings this season were attributed to calm seas, clear weather, and an abundant food supply.

Humpback whales are large migratory baleen whales known for their acrobatic breaches and haunting songs during the breeding season.

They were previously hunted to near-extinction in the 1960s, but numbers have partially recovered to around 135,000 worldwide.

However, the whales still face threats from ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, climate change, and habitat degradation.