‘Energetic’ humpback whale soaks a boat full of onlookers in California, photos show

Passengers on a boat with Monterey Bay Whale Watch returned soaked on Saturday, June 8, after a particularly exciting encounter with a humpback whale.

The organization recounted on social media how they had “spent a lot of time with a very energetic Humpback whale.”

On the water that morning, the group watched as the giant mammal did chin slaps and slapped its pectoral flipper, then began breaching out of the water like a 50,000-pound ballerina.

The humpback re-entered the water and stayed beneath the surface. The watchers sat still, waiting for it to reemerge, the boat in neutral. Then suddenly, the water near the boat broke and the whale was in the air.

The massive creature plummeted back down toward the ocean surface, on contact creating a wall of water that drenched everyone aboard.

“We would love to know what was going through the whale’s head as they crashed down and soaked our passengers,” the organization said.

According to the organization, humpback whales are “very aware of their surroundings,” indicating that this particularly playful whale knew exactly what it was doing.

Humpback whales are known by whale watchers as some of the most acrobatic of ocean animals, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These massive creatures are beloved by boaters for their spirited jumping and surface athletics.

This story was originally published June 12, 2024 at 11:05 AM with the headline "‘Energetic’ humpback whale soaks a boat full of onlookers in California, photos show."