Unfortunately, a group of whale watchers missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime experience when a sneaky whale appeared right behind their boat while they were not looking that way.
They were all facing the other way, waiting to see the whales and readying their cameras for a whale sighting, and they nearly missed the incredible encounter right behind them.
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© Eric J Smith
But, thankfully, someone on that team turned around and was fortunate enough to spot the massive whale just a few feet away from the boat before it vanished.
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© Eric J Smith
After being able to capture the incredible encounter, you can see their victory, which appears to be priceless.
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© Eric J Smith
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© Eric J Smith
These images were captured from a nearby boat and depict the spectacular event that was taking place.
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© Eric J Smith
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© Eric J Smith
The photographs of the near-miss were taken by Eric J Smith, who was in the boat behind. “She slowly and so silently pops her head high above the water to look around,” the 49-year-old photographer from Los Angeles said of the encounter. I was a few dozen feet away in another panga and caught the moment just as everyone realized she was so close. She quickly sank beneath the surface when everyone turned around to see her. There was a lot of clapping and hysterical laughter.”
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© Eric J Smith
“Capturing a whale on time necessitates a lot of luck. As a hawk pursuing its prey, a whale photographer must always be alert and ready. On a whale-watching cruise, it’s easy to become complacent. Because there will be a great deal of waiting. It looks exactly like a spectacular breach happens when you let your guard down.”
What an incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
