Amazing tourist boat encounter with humpback whale

This is the magical moment an enormous humpback whale leaps out of the water just a few feet from a tourist boat.

The thrilling footage was captured by tourists on board a boat off the coast of the city of Quepos, in the western Costa Rican province of Puntarenas, on August 30.

The area is known as a prime site for whale-spotting but no one could have expected to have an encounter quite as close as the one captured on film, even though this is the best time of the year to spot cetaceans in the Pacific ocean.

Although most of the tourists were soaked to the bone from the enormous splash, the sense of euphoria is clear as people can be heard shouting "Oh my God!" and "Holy sh*t!"

At least one woman was unnerved by the proximity of such a massive creature. She can be heard saying: "I’m scared now. It’s so close."