While recording whales off the east coast of South Africa, professional underwater cameraman Chris Coates had a serious close call.

Suddenly, one humpback started darting right for him!

Luckily, he managed to only get shoved to the side when the whale smacked him and the camera.

“The slap with the fin was quiet hard, but I don’t think it was trying to hurt me or it would have been way harder,” Chris later recalled to JukinVideo.