A marine photographer has captured the moment a trio of whales came to say hello to humans onboard a boat.
Jodi Frediani, 74, from California, caught pictures of the three whales while on a tour with Monterey Bay Whale Watch. The pictures show three humpback whales, each around 40 meters (131 feet) long, coming close to the vessel during an excursion in Santa Cruz.
The unexpected guests stayed for over half an hour, evoking quite a reaction from the whale watchers, who were alternating between “squeals and screams of delight.”
Frediani said: “The behavior of this trio was beyond anything I’ve witnessed in my 20-plus years of whale watching. They were swimming around the other boat when we arrived, spy hopping together, trumpet blowing, and making close approaches to the Clipper.
“They then swam between the two boats before coming over to check us out. They approached from both sides and the rear, repeatedly, seemingly to see all of the passengers.
“They stayed for half an hour, actively moving around the boats the whole time.”
Their close approaches moved the water so much that they kept rocking the boat, Frediani said. The photographer is glad for having had the opportunity to capture the majestic whales.
“As boisterous as these whales were, they were very careful and mindful of the boat. While they did touch it a couple of times, they never lashed out,” Frediani said.
“They were extremely curious and so interested in us!”
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