A freediving instructor had once-in-a-lifetime moment when a massive Bryde's whale suddenly emerged during a feeding frenzy in Mexico's Pacific waters.

Emily Marzilli, 27, of Baja California Sur, Mexico, was diving near a giant sardine bait ball when fish swarms and foam-filled water signaled something extraordinary.

Without warning, a massive whale surfaced, took a huge bite of the baitball, and vanished, leaving the group in stunned silence.

The brief two-minute encounter left the divers in shock and awe, a rare experience Marzilli says can only be dreamed of.

In November, Marzilli was diving with friends in Magdalena Bay off Baja California Sur, an area renowned for its "National Geographic level action" during sardine season."

The group had discovered a bait ball - a massive congregation of sardines that can grow "the size of cars or sometimes even small sheds," Marzilli said."

Striped marlin, measuring up to two meters long, were circling the formation as the divers maintained a safe distance of 15 to 20 meters.

"We were the only boat in the whole area, which is really lucky to just be the only ones in the water," Marzilli said. "

What started as a typical observation quickly turned extraordinary when a swarm of fish began aggressively attacking the bait ball.

The feeding frenzy created a cloud of foam that obscured their vision as the school of fish approached.

"We could see that the fish was coming towards us, so we were frantically trying to swim back," Marzilli said. "

"Out of nowhere, this Bryde's whale came and just took a huge bite out of the baitball and just swam away."

The massive marine mammal, weighing 20 to 30 tons, appeared suddenly from the cloudy water like magic.

"At first, I didn't even process what was happening," Marzilli said. "

"Half of it was honestly in shock because you are expecting to see fish and then all of a sudden there's this 20, 30 ton whale that's right in front of you."

The encounter lasted only about two minutes, but its impact was profound.

The five divers found themselves looking at each other afterward, wondering if "that just happened to us or not," she said."

After the whale departed and the bait ball disappeared, consumed by both fish and whale, the group returned to their boat in stunned silence.

As a freediving instructor who teaches proper marine ethics, Marzilli emphasized the unique nature of their encounter.

"When all of this happened, we had no idea that there was even a whale in the proximity," she said, noting it wasn't intentional."

She distinguished their experience from problematic whale interactions, in which people deliberately approach and stress the animals.

"I think that in situations like this, where the whale comes out of nowhere and it totally surprises you," Marzilli said. "

"Those are types of interactions that you can only dream of and wish to happen."