Close Encounter of the Whale Kind

Last month, a kayaker in Monterey Bay, California was almost hit in the face by the tail of a humpback whale. It's hard to tell from the video if the kayakers were committing the no-no of approaching the whale, or if the whale came up upon them. Let's face it, the whale will go where the whale wants to go.
Check out the video below:



How close is too close when encountering whales?
Fisheries and Environment Canada recommend that vessels (and that includes kayaks) should stay a minimum 100 metres away from whales. Don't approach from in front or behind, only from the sides.