File photo - Shane Chalker photographed water spouts off Forster in April 2015.
File photo - Shane Chalker photographed water spouts off Forster in April 2015.
A Nambucca Heads man wasn't quite sure what he was seeing when a rare water spout formed off Main Beach this morning.

Rodney Thurtell, 50, was munching on a piece of barbecued chicken for breakfast and gazing out to sea from an elevated position near the surf life saving club when he noted a dark, thin line in the clouds, which stretched all the way to the surface of the ocean.

"I could see the water moving in the sea where it touched down," Rodney told the Guardian.

"I saw another bloke and he said 'what's that', and I said 'that's a water spout' and he agreed that's exactly what it was."


Rodney said the event happened at about 7.20 - and lasted for 45 to 60 seconds.

"Once I realised what it was I got my phone out and videoed it," Rodney said.

"It was probably only 200 metres to half a kilometre offshore. It got stronger, then it just stopped."

It was a dramatic final scene of Nambucca Heads for Rodney, who is moving to live in Tasmania.