Sneaky Whale Pops Up Behind Whale Watchers As They Look The Wrong Way

A group of whale watchers hoped for a once-in-a-lifetime sighting, but were instead played epically by the gigantic whale they were all waiting to photograph. Thankfully, director and photographer Eric J. Smith captured the amusing event on camera, and it has since gone viral!

Lovers of marine life waited patiently on their boat with the camera on, but they almost missed the spectacular view when the huge whale decided to deceive them. The group was off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, waiting for a chance at life, but everyone was looking in the wrong direction when the whale raised its head behind them. 

Fortunately, the animal-lovers were able to get a few wonderful photos with the majestic beast. The humpback whale gave the curious sightseers another chance because it knew they had missed the first one. This time, even the whale watchers got into the spirit of things and sang songs of joy.

A witness to the entire incident, photographer Eric Smith, was taken aback by what he saw. In a quiet voice, the 49-year-old remarked, “she carefully and stealthily stuck her head up above the water to look around.” “As soon as everyone looked around, she was gone.” Following that, there was much cheering and uncontrollable laughter.

Moments before everyone knew how near she was, I was in another panga [boat] just a few dozen feet away. When photographing whales, “the key is to always be on the lookout and ready,” says the author.

We thank the photographer for the featured image. CATERS