Two snorkelers were enjoying a swim off the French Polynesia coast when they had an experience they won’t forget too soon. The swimmers got close to a mother whale and her baby, but they kept a safe distance though. Nonetheless, the baby whale approached them for a cuddling session. The moment was caught on video by a drone and it is nothing short of incredible!
The drone footage shows the baby whale playing and splashing around while its mom seems she’s taking a nap. Though humpback whale are but gentle and friendly, a close encounter with these giants might be the last thing to want. Nevertheless, that’s what this pair of swimmers got.
All of a sudden, the baby whale left its snoozing mum and decided to offer to one of the swimmers the experience of her lifetime. The curios mammal approached the woman swimming underneath, but only to scoop her onto its belly helped by its pectoral fin. For a few moments, the woman was riding the whale calf!
The rare moment was caught on video by Eamon Porter. The 29-year-old Australian photographer was using his drone to snap some breathtaking sightings, when he captured this!
“The calf was very curious and decides to come in for a look at the people,” Porter said. “It approached them and pushed one of the swimmers onto its belly out of the water. It showed nature and humans connecting. I love how in this instance nature came to the human. I’m sure the mum knew the humans were close by but she had enough trust for her baby to interact with the humans despite possibly only being a few weeks old.”
Although the moment is now a sight to behold, it could have end tragically for the snorkeler, if the massive calf would have (even unintentionally) moved its tail in the wrong direction!
You can watch the moment here:
