Have you ever had whales sneakily popping up behind you as you’re sightseeing? If not, make sure to check out this story. This group of whale watchers got so close to missing out on a once-in-a-life experience as a whale sneakily appeared behind their boat while they were looking in another direction.
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The whale watchers were touring the San Francisco Lagoon in Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. While they were watching the open sea, anticipating the whales, a humpback whale came up behind them sneakily. Fortunately, the group turned around at the last moment, catching a slight glimpse of the humpback before it disappeared into the sea.
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Needless to say, the group of whale watchers missed out on a truly striking sight as they kept watching in the opposite direction as the whale sneaked up behind them. They were equipped with cameras too, in order to capture the incredible encounter, but almost lost their opportunity as they kept watching in the opposite direction. The humpback whale was just a few feet away from their boat.
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When the sightseers finally managed to turn around, the giant humpback whale dived back into the ocean. The pics below were taken from another vessel. The near-miss of the sightseers was captured by Eric J. Smith, a 49-year-old director, and photographer from Los Angeles.
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At one time, humpback whales used to be the target of the whaling industry, making them extinct. Hunting them was banned in 1966 by a world moratorium. Thanks to this, the humpback whale count in the world has been recovered partially. So, if you enjoyed this story, share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Image credits: @esmith_images / Caters News Age
