Passenger Captures Once-In-A-Lifetime Video Of Waterspout From Plane Window

Typically, the traveling part of a vacation is not what you remember the most — but that is not always the case. There is something to be said about enjoying the journey, not just the destination, after all. Still, the passengers on this plane were absolutely floored by what they saw just out the window. The flight was set for Phuket, Thailand. As they neared their destination, the plane passed by a waterspout.

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While these develop surprisingly often, it’s actually pretty rare to spot on a plane. For those who do not know, a waterspout is essentially a tornado that take place over the water. While they are similar to tornadoes found on land, there are some key differences. Luckily, a passenger managed to capture an incredibly clear, breathtaking video of the one he saw. Check it out below!

“And people wanna keep windows closed in the airplane and miss this scenery,” someone writes in reply to this stunning footage, another person adding, “Rain cloud [is] just refueling.”

Although waterspouts are a type of tornado, they do have key differences. For starters, they tend to be much less destructive — as long as they remain above water, anyway. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), weaker ones are called fair weather waterspouts. They tend to develop outside of thunderstorms and don’t move around much.

Then there are tornadic waterspouts. They typically take place during severe thunderstorms and share the same characteristics as a land tornado. So, while it would certainly be a bit unsettling to see one while on a plane, as that video from Thailand shows, pilots are able to steer clear. Would you want to see one in person?

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