Hilarious Picture Shows Whale Jumping from Sea As Watchers Look the Other Way

Faline · #1 ● 12-05-2012, 07:28 AM

A humpback whale puts on a majestic show for a group of whale watchers as they look the OTHER WAY.

The tourists took to the waters near Baltimore, in County Cork, Ireland, to try to catch a glimpse of the mammal in action.

They timed their visit perfectly to coincide with the unprecedented arrival of six humpbacks, who fed and played in front of them.

But they missed the moment one of the the whales, which can weigh up to 40 tonnes and measure 50 foot long, leapt out of the water just yards from their boat.

Fortunately a lifeboat crew had also come along to witness the spectacular scene, and were lucky enough to capture it on camera.

Lifeboat crew member Youen Jacob, 37, was just 50 feet away in his 20-foot long boat when the humpback emerged from the water in front of him.

He said: "They have been bubble feeding for the past two weeks, using bubbles from their blow holes to push fish to the surface, and they been tail slapping and seeming to play with one another.

"It was truly spectacular to get so close to these whales, we occasionally see them in ones and twos but we haven't seen this many for years.

"They looked like they were enjoying themselves as well, blocking each other and breaching out of the water.

"When this one whale breached by our boat we knew about it, he was massive, and when I looked at the photo I realised everyone else was looking the wrong way."