Typically, whenever we see videos of whales getting uncomfortably close to boats, the situation turns into near disaster or is at least enough to get the heart pumping. Like when we saw an orca whale get directly between a boat and a water skier, and also when a massive humpback whale breached the surface in Long Island, and made contact with a boat.
However, there are also some really cool close calls as well, just like this one.
Humpback whales are currently migrating through Southern California, which is giving whale observers an opportunity to get up close and personal with the creatures. And one of those observers is Pacific Offshore Expeditions and Newport Coastal Adventures employee, Captain Delaney Trowbridge.
A couple of humpbacks approached Trowbridge’s boat, and began to curiously “investigate” the boat, which is known as mugging.
Trowbridge wrote in a Facebook post:
“I had one of the best humpback encounters of my career yesterday! A pair of humpback whales curiously investigated and played with our boat for nearly 3 HOURS. They were pushing the boat around, making crazy vocalizations, and spyhopping a bunch. I’ve never experienced a “mugging” as intense as this one before!
An encounter like this cannot be forced. The whales approached us, not the other way around. Follow local viewing distance guidelines when watching whales and remain in neutral if approached.”
The people on board were treated to a little shower after the whale splashed it’s big tail directly in front of the boat, a once in a lifetime whale watching experience for sure.
Take a look:
