Of all the things that could go wrong in the line-up, being bashed on the head by a 50-tonne southern right whale has got to be one of the more unlikely and humbling experiences the ocean could serve up.

While record numbers of whales have been migrating up the east coast of Australia to warmer tropical breeding grounds, that’s exactly what happened to a couple of ocean-goers when one whale and its calf strayed towards the lineup at Sydney’s Bondi Beach before deciding to flick its tale at a couple of surfers who’d paddled too close for comfort. One of the victims remained temporarily unconscious after the blow and later went home with what we can only imagine as being a big ass headache.