“When a humpback whale suddenly decided to breach right next to us . . . so close it almost landed on top of us,” wrote underwater photographer Álvaro Herrero in an Instagram post sharing incredible footage of a whale’s massive breach. It’s about as close as you can get without being smashed.
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Herrero explains that he and his group were in the water with the whale and her calf for several hours before this moment. The pair had become separated, and Herrero believes the mom humpback breached to let her calf know she was still nearby. They reunited shortly after her larger-than-life display.
“Seeing moments like this is also a matter of statistics,” he wrote in his post. “We spend almost every day of the whale season in the water—more than three months, out on the ocean daily. The more time you spend with these incredible animals, the greater the chance of witnessing truly unforgettable behaviour.”
Watch a massive humpback whale breach below (or see it here).
Header stock image by Marnie Griffiths/Getty Images
