Humpback whale breaches in fog during a surreal, unforgettably close encounter, The fog was so dense and the visibility was so poor that passengers aboard the whale-watching boat must have wondered if they had wasted their money.
But then they heard a blow in the distance, and soon after the captain turned the 50-foot vessel to investigate, a humpback whale began to launch its massive body into the mist, in a surreal encounter the passengers are not likely to forget any time soon.
The accompanying images captured Friday off Brier Island in Nova Scotia, Canada, are courtesy of Penny Graham, owner and operator of Mariner Cruises Whale and Seabird Tours.
They show an adult humpback breaching from a distance that almost seems too close for comfort; so close that Graham could not fit the entire 45-foot whale in her frame during many of its 30 breaches only yards beyond the twin-deck boat, Chad & Sisters Two.
In the photo sequence, the whale turns slightly while half-airborne, and lands partly on its back and right side.
CBC incorrectly described the breach as a backflip, but it was extraordinary because of its close proximity to the boat.
“It was a moment I’ll never forget,” Graham told the news website, adding: “I started whale watching in 1984 with my husband Roy when he was alive and never before have I captured a whale in that position.”
After the photos were posted to the Mariner Cruises Facebook page, video footage shot by Sandy Seliga, a passenger, was provided, helping to immortalize the episode.
Graham described the fog as “one of our natural wonders down here,” and said that she’ll often cut the engines and just listen for breathing whales, whose 300-mph skyward blows are fairly easy to detect in quiet conditions.
But it’s not often hat one of the whales will jump repeatedly, almost within touching distance.
Said Graham: “I’m not a scientist, but I honestly believe that whale was having just as good of a time as we were.”
But then they heard a blow in the distance, and soon after the captain turned the 50-foot vessel to investigate, a humpback whale began to launch its massive body into the mist, in a surreal encounter the passengers are not likely to forget any time soon.
The accompanying images captured Friday off Brier Island in Nova Scotia, Canada, are courtesy of Penny Graham, owner and operator of Mariner Cruises Whale and Seabird Tours.
They show an adult humpback breaching from a distance that almost seems too close for comfort; so close that Graham could not fit the entire 45-foot whale in her frame during many of its 30 breaches only yards beyond the twin-deck boat, Chad & Sisters Two.
In the photo sequence, the whale turns slightly while half-airborne, and lands partly on its back and right side.
CBC incorrectly described the breach as a backflip, but it was extraordinary because of its close proximity to the boat.
“It was a moment I’ll never forget,” Graham told the news website, adding: “I started whale watching in 1984 with my husband Roy when he was alive and never before have I captured a whale in that position.”
After the photos were posted to the Mariner Cruises Facebook page, video footage shot by Sandy Seliga, a passenger, was provided, helping to immortalize the episode.
Graham described the fog as “one of our natural wonders down here,” and said that she’ll often cut the engines and just listen for breathing whales, whose 300-mph skyward blows are fairly easy to detect in quiet conditions.
But it’s not often hat one of the whales will jump repeatedly, almost within touching distance.
Said Graham: “I’m not a scientist, but I honestly believe that whale was having just as good of a time as we were.”
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