It's not every day you'll see some of Ireland's aquatic wildlife this close, especially when you're off the coast of Cork.

The footage, which has been shared on Twitter well over 1,000 times, sees a minke whale breaching near a family's boat as it surfaces to catch some food before dropping beneath the waves.

By all accounts, the kids on the boat were probably shocked about seeing a minke whale that close - as would just about anyone be in that instance. Minke whales can grow from around 5 metres long to around 10 metres long, and live on a diet of sand eels, herrings. They're also a common enough sighting in and around the coasts of Cork.

Well, maybe not this close. Take a look.

Speaking to Cork Beo, David Minihane - who captured the footage - explained that while he's regularly out on the seas, but rarely has a minke whale come this close. "We'd regularly see dolphins, they're always up by the boat within touching distance. We see the wales about six or seven miles out but we've never been that close. They usually stay away," Minihane explained.

Going by this video, they did pretty much the exact opposite.