Huge Humpback Whale Suddenly Bursts Into the Air Beside Boat, Leaves Sailors Shocked

Huge Humpback Whale Suddenly Bursts Into the Air Beside Boat, Leaves Sailors Shocked
Courtesy of Douglas Croft/Caters News
Updated:

Taken by photographer Douglas Croft, 60, and whale watcher Kate Cummings, a stunning photo shoot shows a humpback whale breaching through the surface right next to a boat, catching an unsuspecting fisherman in shock, before crashing down beneath the waves.

The sequence was captured in Monterey Bay in California.

“It was quite exciting! Salmon season coincides with the time when humpbacks are returning to Monterey Bay to feed for the summer and there were hundreds of boats on the bay fishing,” Douglas said.

Douglas Crofts captured images of a whale breaching. (Courtesy of Douglas Croft/Caters News)
Douglas Crofts captured images of a whale breaching. Courtesy of Douglas Croft/Caters News

“This whale had breached a couple of times before this and many times they’ll just keep doing it.

“I went below deck to shoot from a porthole close to the water line. That’s what gives this amazing perspective of looking up at the whale.

“That the breach was directly behind the fishing boat really shows the size.

“Since the boat is closer, it should look bigger, but the whale is huge! If I’d been the fisherman, I’d probably need some new underwear.”

A whale breaching very close to a fisherman's boat off Monterey Bay, California. (Courtesy of Douglas Croft/Caters News)
A whale breaching very close to a fisherman's boat off Monterey Bay, California. Courtesy of Douglas Croft/Caters News

Kate, who took the video, said, “It was fun capturing this video. The whale had already breached multiple times much further away from the fisherman.

“But sometimes when whales breach multiple times, they’re also heading a specific direction when they’re underwater building momentum for the next breach.

“I figured the next breach would be around the fisherman because the whale was heading that way and sure enough! Though I didn’t expect the whale and the boat to line up so perfectly.”

(Courtesy of Douglas Croft/Caters News)
Courtesy of Douglas Croft/Caters News
(Courtesy of Douglas Croft/Caters News)
Courtesy of Douglas Croft/Caters News
Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.
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