Spectacular clip shows whale breach right next to snorkelers

A spectacular video has emerged from French Polynesia of a humpback whale leaping out of the water just a few feet away from some snorkelers.

The rare perspective was captured close to the tiny isand of Mo'orea on October 5.

"We spotted a humpback whale that was apparently sleeping," the filmer wrote online.

"So we jumped in the water and watched it with our masks and snorkels. Suddenly it bent its whole body and started to swim to the surface very quickly and breached through the high waves directly next to us," he added.